Imran in August
Imran’s last 7 years have been quite an adventure and it has been our honor to post many articles about him during this time.*
In 2013, when we first met him (virtually), he was a home cheese maker, teaching himself to make cheese. His wife, Ayesha was tolerating his constant presence in the kitchen, but he knew he was pushing his luck.
Imran has always been a problem solver, so, he made himself a vat and designated a small room for cheese making. He began teaching himself to make all kinds of fabulous cheeses.
In 2013
He made a LOT of cheese, so, it seemed inevitable that he would begin to sell it. He printed 100 labels and put up his first website.
His first Mozzarella in 2013
“The rest is history,” as they say. His business, Farmer’s Cheese Making grew to become the largest artisanal cheese company in Pakistan.
Beyond Lock Down – Imran’s Story:
The pandemic took over the world with no exception. However, we were lucky to survive the impact and I hope you are out of it, too.
Farmer’s Cheese Making is now considered a brand in Pakistan.
We do home deliveries and we supply to restaurants, but we also sell in retail supermarkets and that has proven to be our lifeline during the pandemic.
Taste & purchase cheese counter at Jalal Sons main market, Lahore
Most of the staff went back home during the lock down but with the help of just a few employees, following strict SOPs, we managed retail sales. We sold the cheese we had in stock for a couple of weeks and then we started with half production which gradually increased until we had crossed the previous production level. Surprisingly, from there, the business increased 10 fold.
In Pakistan we are lucky that Covid 19 didn’t hit us badly and, after a few months, life is almost normal here and the staff is back, too.
Imran (center) with a few of his employees in April
At the start of pandemic, on March 20, my company was nominated for the Boldness in Business Award by ArcylorMittal & Financial Times in London, UK. Our category was Developing Markets.
But, due to the lock down, I was not able to visit the UK. The award ceremony, however, took place online and later we received the certificate.
At the same time, just a few days before the world observed the lock down, I had started preparing a huge cheese facility in an industrial area. Despite all fears and reservations about the future, I kept working on it.
This is our current factory. The new one will be 10 times as large.
The hard work and risk taking paid off. Now, the factory is just 2 months away from its start. It’s going to be the first artisanal cheese making facility in Pakistan with an area over 10,000 square feet. It has three huge cold storage rooms, changing rooms, a cafeteria for the workers, offices, food safety & quality control officers (there are already a few working), R&D, a complaint center and everything else which a good cheese company requires.
I feel great whenever I read the first blog article you wrote about me in 2013 (click here). Starting from my kitchen, in less than 10 years I changed my hobby into an industry. I believe by 2025, FCM is going to be the largest cheese making company in Pakistan, known for its quality and standards (like Almarai in Saudi Arabia).
What makes us different is that we are producing unprocessed, artisan cheese and especially the mature cheeses like Parmesan, Cheddar, Gouda, etc.
Currently, we are producing over 10 tons of cheese per month. Our target is 30 tons per month by June 21 and 150 tons by 2025.
Our cheeses on display at a local supermarket
All this time, I have kept my hands on the cheese. I developed a Feta from camel’s milk which we marinate in extra virgin olive oil.
Two more products are in the R&D process. Soon, goat’s milk cheese will be included in our line of production after we shift to the new factory.
My Parmesan, English Cheddar and some others are so popular that we are unable to cope with the demand. That was the reason we built a huge sized factory. It was time. Now, we are selling our cheese in many cities all over Pakistan. A new website, apps, and packaging are in process.
We are now the first cream cheese commercial producer in Pakistan with a professional production system installed with the help of the USAID Grant fund. We are suppling to various bakeries all around Pakistan as well as selling retail at all branded supermarkets.
We have developed a think tank and we are having weekly meetings lead by a young lady, Fatima, with a powerful brain and some amazing talents. We make weekly and monthly targets and we put our heads together to figure out how to achieve them.
I am used to taking risks. If you remember, at one time, my air duct business was my prime business. Today, cheese making is my prime business and I only visit the old one once or twice a month. It seemed insane when I started the cheese business, but that’s how I am.
Farmer’s Cheese Making – https://www.farmerscheesemaking.com/
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/farmerscheesemaking/
92-3302433737 (cheese)
92-35181219
* Previous articles:
2019 – Imran Saleh in Lahore Pakistan – An Update
2017 – Imran Saleh in Pakistan – Expanding Again!
2015 – Imran Saleh – Changing the Culture of Pakistan
2013 – Making “Dry” Mozzarella in Pakistan
2013 – Teaching a Workshop in Pakistan with Imran Saleh
2013 – Making Cheese in Pakistan
