There are no snow-capped peaks, lush green fields or grazing cattle in sight when we head to Sharad Industrial Estate, Bhandup. A far cry from this postcard-like scenery, fromager Mausam Jotwani Narang’s creamery is tucked in between textile godowns, jewellery-making units and hardware factories that dot the long, dark corridors of the enclave. Yet, it is from this unassuming 2,500-sq ft space that Eleftheria produces cheddar, mozzarella, fromage blanc and burrata varieties, some of which have caught the attention of a jury of international turophiles. Earlier this month, two of their cheeses — Moody and Brunost — bagged a gold and silver at the World Cheese Awards 2022 in Wales. In 2021, too, Brunost won a silver at the competition, making them the first Indian creamery to receive the honour.

This year, Moody and Brunost were among the 4,000-odd varieties, from 40 countries, tabled at the World Cheese Awards, quips Narang. We’ve slipped on a hair cap and shoe covers, and are standing inside her busy creamery. Milk here pours in from four farms across Maharashtra, and is pasteurised, cultured and crafted into cheese and cultured butter. The 36-year-old has us hooked to her crash course, as she animatedly dives into details of pasteurisation temperatures, pH scale calibration, rennets, cultures and all things cheese.