Authentic barrel-aged Greek feta is a real game changer. Once you’ve experienced feta the way it’s supposed to taste, you’ll find it near impossible to return to mass-produced industrial versions. We apologise in advance!

It takes skill and a certain amount of production time to make barrel-ripened feta, and as such, it’s now produced by just a handful of small dairies in Greece. Made traditionally, from ewe’s and goat’s milk, it is then placed into the barrel by hand. After three months’ maturation inside the barrel, the feta develops a crumbly, milky texture, a balanced salty flavour, and a seriously creamy, peppery finish. Is your mouth watering yet? There’s a reason the ancient Greeks called this cheese “the food of the gods”!

At maturation, the cheese is removed from the barrel, then the drum is broken down, stave by stave, washed and carefully rebuilt by a skilled cooper.

What is barrel-aged Greek feta?

Type: Semi-hard brined ewe’s and goat’s cheese.

Origin: Greece

Special because:  It’s produced by only a handful of small dairies in Greece using traditional techniques dating back to the time when nomadic shepherds roamed the hills in the north of the country.

Storing and serving
We recommend buying the barrel-aged feta you find in specialist cheese shops or at counters, usually stored in brine (and sometimes in olive oil with herbs). Once opened, consume within three days.

Authentic barrel-aged feta is perfect as a table cheese and can hold its own on any good cheese or charcuterie board. It can elevate almost any recipe, too.

See here for Ellie and Sam’s recipe for one-pot greens with barrel-aged feta.