Story by Yannis Adilinis, photos by Nearchos Panayiotou, and video by Stelios Stefanou
TRADITIONAL PRODUCT AWARD 2026 - GASTRONOMOS
TO ANOYRKATIKO | STALIES FARM
At Stalies Farm on the outskirts of Anogyra, livestock farmer Pantelis Panteli and his family care for 1,100 free-range sheep and goats while also running their family dairy workshop, "To Anoyrkatiko." Having grown up surrounded by milk and cheese, his earliest memory of flaouna cheese goes back to his grandmother in their Paphos village. Pantelis Panteli worked with animals from a young age, and when he decided to build a career in livestock farming, he and his wife Stella moved up to Anogyra to establish Stalies Farm, naming it after the local area. Thirty years later, they continue the great cheesemaking tradition of Cyprus alongside their children with stubborn dedication, producing exceptional cheeses in their small workshop. The farm has modernized and expanded over time, and the animals are now divided into pens that guarantee plenty of space, a clean environment, good health, higher productivity, and controlled breeding. Every day, the sheep and goats graze on the fragrant neighboring slopes, infusing their milk with the local flavors and aromas.
Milk is one of the two core components of products under the "To Anoyrkatiko" label. The other is the expertise, including the cheesemaking secrets Pantelis inherited and passed down to his children, alongside infallible practical experience. "The more flaouna cheese matures, the better it gets," he mentioned during our conversation. "But it requires thorough hand-kneading inside the talari basket, and there is no machine that can replicate that." The curd is placed into traditional wicker baskets to drain the liquids, pressed firmly by hand, and dried thoroughly to create a hard white cheese that grates easily for making flaounas. The experienced farmer produces about five tons of this cheese year-round, aging it for more than a month and a half. It was this exact cheese that stood out during the "G" magazine tasting event.
Fortunately, foot-and-mouth disease did not affect the farm's livestock. "To any shepherd, the herd is an extension of their own body. Think about it like this: if you lose a part of yourself, you might live or you might not. Even if you do survive, you will be left broken," Pantelis explained vividly when the conversation turned to the pressing issue facing livestock farmers this year. "Everyone needs to embrace our livestock farmers, because our downfall means their downfall too," he added meaningfully.
Cypriot and international visitors who visit Stalies Farm love tasting these unique cheeses, sharing their experiences back home and helping the reputation of Cypriot cheese grow even further.
TO ANOYRKATIKO, STALIES FARM, Anogyra, Limassol, agroktimastalies@gmail.com, T/99433287
Their dairy products are available directly at the farm and in local supermarkets.
