The Cheese from Jelićka That Impressed José Mourinho

Brother and sister Darijo and Dajana Lemić founded the farm, wanting to reconnect with their roots and breathe new life into the land of their great-grandfathers. As Darijo explains, that desire was the main reason behind starting the family business.

“We didn't do it purely for money or profit. Above all, we did it out of love. We could have opened a restaurant in Banja Luka or Paris, but instead we chose to build a farm and make cheese in the very place where our great-grandfathers were born. In 2015, we imported our first goats from the Netherlands - the so-called Dutch White, or Dutch Dairy, goats,” Darijo tells HEDONIST, showing our team around the farm and its outbuildings, constructed using reclaimed old bricks.

Editor's note: This article is part of the HEDONIST archive. It was originally published in 2021 in the magazine's fourth print edition.

As he guides us around the property, Darijo explains that the farm currently has around 170 goats and can support up to 300.

“We decided to focus on producing exceptionally high-quality products from goat's milk. At the moment, our range includes cheese, yoghurt and goat's milk ice cream. Agriculture has always been part of our family life, although our grandfathers were never extensively involved in livestock farming. My sister Dajana and I decided to be the ones to introduce a new and different idea to the family estate, and that story is still unfolding today. It isn't easy. I studied economics, but these days I work on the farm alongside a few other employees. We do it all with great affection and a genuine desire to bring an outstanding product from Jelićka to the market,” he says.

The idea of taking up goat farming, he adds, first came to life in Belgium, where Dajana was working on a modern goat farm.

“We began making cheese in 2016, once we had established our breeding herd. Since then, we have installed modern equipment for milking the goats and processing the milk into high-quality dairy products that meet strict hygiene standards. HACCP procedures have been in place since the very first day of processing, and we adhere to them fully,” Darijo explains as we walk through the farm's modern production facilities.

Two Romanian Carpathian Shepherd dogs accompany us throughout the visit, keeping a watchful eye on the property. Darijo says the goats spend much of the year grazing outdoors. The aim is to provide conditions suited to the Dutch dairy breed: productive and robust animals, yet exceptionally calm in temperament.

“Using our own milk, we make several organic products. The range includes a full-fat semi-hard cheese, fresh cheese, herbed cheese and yoghurt. We have also perfected the production process for our delicious gelato, which we plan to bring to market soon,” Darijo says.

Their cheeses are sold across the domestic market, primarily through direct sales at the farm and partnerships with restaurants, hotels and bakeries, as well as selected specialist food shops in Sarajevo and Banja Luka.

Nana Kaas also holds the necessary approval to export cheese to the European Union - another recognition of the quality of its products and the soundness of its operations, which is expected to support the farm's further development in the years ahead. Darijo says their cheeses have already found admirers abroad, where customers have been quick to express their enthusiasm.

“Our cheese has been tried by several well-known people, including the legendary football manager José Mourinho, who was genuinely impressed by it. That, of course, makes us very happy,” the young farmer says with a smile and evident pride.

Looking ahead, Darijo says the number of goats on the farm continues to grow through their own breeding programme, with particular attention paid to preserving the herd's genetic potential. Their ambition is to become recognised as a farm producing healthy, locally made food that will eventually find its way onto restaurant tables across Europe.

“We will continue to strengthen direct sales at the farm, too. Once the pandemic is behind us, I would love to organise something like an annual Open Farm Day - a regular seasonal event where visitors could learn about how the farm operates and buy other high-quality local products directly from our neighbours and fellow residents of Jelićka,” Darijo says.

He is proud of everything they have achieved so far. The small farming success story of Jelićka, he believes, has come about through determination, hard work and sacrifice, but also with the help of God, in whom the family places great faith.

“Our family is deeply religious, and everything we do, we do with faith. We believe that is the right way, and that when you act with sincere faith, everything you invest eventually finds its way back to you,” the young Lemić concludes.

Jerseys Signed by Ronaldo and Modrić

One of the farm's offices houses framed Real Madrid jerseys belonging to Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modrić, complete with their autographs and personal dedications to Nana Kaas. They are a reminder that the cheeses made in Jelićka have reached the palates of some of football's biggest stars.

“Although our company is based in Banja Luka and the farm itself belongs to the Prijedor region, we make a point of stating on all our products that they come from Jelićka. That is why our slogan is: ‘Made in Jelićka’,” Darijo tells us.

• Words by Vuk Stupar / HEDONIST
• Originally published in HEDONIST Magazine, Issue 04, 2021.