THE BEST OF MAS® BLOG

I have been lucky enough in this life to have come across a true and genuine lifestyle that I never thought still existed in reality. A family of shepherds, in 2021, that live in the wonderful Sienese countryside and live off their own produce. The whole family is dedicated to their sheep farming.

They feed and nourish themselves with only their own produce and I don't mean just cheese and milk, but all their earth grown produce too.

They don't have any cattle so you won't find the typical Chianina beef for a delicious Bolognese sauce, 'ragù'.

Giovanna and Giovanni are both the old fashioned type of shepherds, so welcoming and so calm, working hard from dawn to dusk.

One of the most wonderful experiences I have had with 'Best of Mas' was a private cooking course with GIovanna. 

Immagine arriving at their farm, going inside their home (Giovanna doesn't speak a word of English) and she welcomes you with such a friendly hug that makes you feel you have just reunited with a long lost friend after 2 years apart.

In less than 2 hours she will hand make you10 different types of pasta, a pork based 'ragù' ( they breed pigs as well as sheep), she will teach you how to make ravioli with fresh ricotta cheese, from her own sheep's milk of course, then home made panna cotta or perhaps a tiramisù with their own freshly laid eggs, whilst the chickens wander around the farm and will even come to greet you when you arrive!

They also have 5 gorgeous 'Maremmani' dogs, so sweet and friendly, you'd think they were Golden Retrievers (not even the dogs are what we would consider 'normal' in this family) : Maremmani are notoriously renowned for being diffident and totally territorial, whereas Giovanna's are as sweet as sugar and follow you around, just waiting to be stroked)

Just behind the dogs, Giovanni appears, after having woken up at 4.00 am to milk the sheep, he comes back home to and join us all for lunch.

We sit around the table, so proud of what has been made this morning. Giovanni doesn't speak English either, only Italian, and seats himself at the head of the table.

Their two daughters join us and also a couple of their farm helpers. There are 12 of us in all.

Giovanni chatters away and tells us all about his life: of how he came to live in Siena from the beautiful island of Sardinia, of when he was a child....of what his father used to teach him......just so much to say and to share..... we savour our lunch and drink some wine, you almost get that feeling of a large family reunited at Christmas lunch. 

You feel a part of that table, as though you'd done this your whole life, you feel you're amongst old friends that you haven't seen for ages, but have always been part of your life.

Whilst I'm desperately translating for everyone as I don't want anyone to miss a word of this unique atmosphere, or to miss catch the true

emotions of all these tales.

Lunch lasts a good two hours, until Giovanni gets up and announces he's just going to have a quick energy nap, to feel ready to go back to his farming.

Both his and Giovanna's lives are written on their faces, through the sun, the fresh air and their hard work.... a lifetime of hard work but also creating amazing friendships, genuine friendships, their simplicity and love is extraordinary.

Giovanna takes us around the farm after lunch, their dairy produce and their time change dimension: we all know that despite this wonderful experience, its coming to the end, will bring us all a sense of sadness.

We buy some of their delicious cheeses and set on our way back to Siena: there is no doubt, that having shared these unique moments together will be tucked in each of our hearts forever.