Hanan the Cheesemaker – Store and Tours in the Sharon plain
At Hanan the Cheesemaker in Moshav Herut, you can join a tour, taste handmade cheese, and buy their produce.
Table of Contents
Map
Hanan the Cheesemaker is on Derech HaMeyasdim 25 in Herut, near Kfar Saba. Here is a preset link to Waze.
Directions for drivers: Link to Waze and Link to Google Maps
Directions for public transport: Link to Moovit
Interactive map of the area:
Offers:
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As you drive along Derech HaMeyasdim, you will see a sign to Hanan the Cheesemaker.
The parking lot is located at another place, not far away. Follow the instructions on the sign above to reach the parking.
Opening Hours
Sunday: 09:00 – 15:00
Monday – Wednesday: 08:00 – 15:00
Thursday: 08:00 – 19:00
Friday: 08:00 – 14:00
I took the listed opening hours from the official site. Note that they are different from the opening hours in the next photo. Thus, recheck the official site before visiting.
Contact Information
Phone: 09-7889990
Email: main@gvinot-hanan.co.il
Website: https://hagaban.co.il
Facebook: @hananhagaban
Kashrut
Hanan the cheesemaker is kosher (Kashrut of Lev HaSharon Regional Council).
Store
As you enter the farm, you will find a small store.
The store is relatively small, and you can primarily find cheeses, bread, and olives.
Picnic Baskets and Other Packages
You can also order picnic baskets, gift packages, and cheese packages. You can find additional information on the official site.
Tour
If you want to join a tour, you can book here.
We joined a tour on a Friday morning during spring 2022. And now I will tell you about our experience.
The price was 120 NIS per adult, 80 NIS per child, and free for toddlers. For that price, you get a short tour and breakfast. You can skip the tour and eat only breakfast, but the price will be the same.
Before the entrance to the store, you can see the tables inside the avocado plantation. It is where the tour starts.
The tour had two parts. We sat by the tables for the first part and saw a short movie (about ten minutes) about this farm.
Then we went about fifteen meters to the cheese rooms.
There are three cheese rooms, each used to prepare different cheeses. Our guide told us about the rooms, the cheeses, and how they are prepared.
She also mentioned that in 2019 they won third place for Herut sheep milk cheese with sage at the international cheese contest in France’s Loire Valley (reference).
She said many interesting things, and I will only mention my favorite quote from that day: “There are no bad cheeses. There are only not strong enough people.”
The tour lasted about twenty minutes, and when we returned from the cheese rooms, our table was already set. Here is a photo of what was on the table:
It is a table for two adults and two children. Everything was fresh and tasty. We enjoyed our meal a lot, and in the end, they brought a small dessert for each.
Note: you do not have to join the tour. If you want a restaurant experience, you can book a tour and stay at the table.
About
In the middle of an avocado plantation, in Moshav Herut, my partner Hadar and I renovated an old chicken house built by Hadar’s grandfather, Yoske Levin, and turned it into a fromagerie. It was important for us to preserve the past legacy while pouring new life and a modern spirit into the structure. Thus, we preserved our forefathers’ dream to construct Israel. In the fromagerie, I make my cheeses, which are purchased in the small shop next to it. In addition to my cheeses, you can find in the store the local farmers’ fresh produce such as olive oil, citrus fruit, Syrian olives, and a variety of seasonal produce (avocado, pineapple, citrus fruits, pecans, flowers, and more). Also offered for you, displayed on the shelves, are whole wheat and rye bread as well as fine wines, beers, homemade cakes, and more. The beauty of the place, the nature surrounding it, and the tranquility that penetrates the fromagerie through its windows are the basic important factors that contribute to the success of the cheese.
The Cheese Dairy
In the fromagerie (cheese dairy) I make village artisanal cheese from goat’s milk, cow’s milk, and sheep’s milk using traditional craftsmanship, as cheesemakers used to do centuries ago. No artificial ingredients such as preservatives, stabilizers, flavor additives, food colors, or milk powders are added to the cheese during production. The cheese production process preserves the traditional characteristics of each cheese by the particular attention paid to factors such as type of milk, production process, the conditions for aging and ripening, etc. The milk I use is milked daily in the cowshed and goat house in a strictly supervised milking process. The freshness of the milk and the personal touch guarantees the unique taste and quality of the various cheeses. All the cheeses are Kosher (Kashrut of Lev HaSharon Regional Council). My cheeses are sold from the cheesemaker directly to the consumer with no retailers involved, which is reflected in the price, and thus enables you to enjoy both freshness and attractive cheese prices. In the fromagerie, you will find a large selection of fresh and ripe French-style cheeses: Camembert, Saint-Maure, Brie, and Tomme. In addition, you can find Tzfat cheese, salty Tzfat cheese, Labneh, yogurt (goat/sheep/beef), fresh mozzarella, and more.
Source: official website
Similar Places
If you love cheeses, check out the following places (sorted from south to north):
- Kornmehl Farm – Goat Cheese Farm and Restaurant
- Ivry Dairy – Store and Restaurant in Central Israel
- The Markovitch Cheese Farm
- Hanan the Cheesemaker – Store and Tours in the Sharon plain
- Meshek Ofaimme, Hansen House – Visitors Guide
- Jacobs Dairy Farm and Agadat Lechem -Store, Restaurant, and More
- Schwartzman Dairy, Store, and Restaurant in Bat Shlomo
- Safed Cheese and the Original Dairies – Hameiri and Kadosh
Summary
We enjoyed the tour with breakfast a lot. And since the tour was only about twenty minutes, you can also visit with children.
Have you visited Hanan the Cheesemaker? Tell us in the comment below about your experience.
That’s all for today, and I’ll see you in future travels!
Stay Tuned!
Additional Resources
Here are several resources that I created to help travelers:- Trip Planner with Attractions and Itineraries is the page that will help you create your perfect travel route.
- What is the Best Time to visit Israel? To answer this question, we will consider the weather, prices, holidays, festivals, and more.
- Information and Tips for Tourists to Israel will answer the most common questions tourists have about Israel (including safety, passports, weather, currency, tipping, electricity, and much more).
- Israel National Parks and Nature Reserves include a complete list, top ten, map, tickets (Israel Pass, Matmon, combo), and campsites.
- If you are looking for things to do, here are the pages for Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, Sea Of Galilee, Akko (Acre), Eilat, Nazareth, Safed (Tzfat), and Makhtesh Ramon.
