Nina Triay, Ca na Fayas: "I can tell by sight if a piece will sound salty"

Itziar Lecea/Ciutadella - Nina Fayas is the third generation of one of the most emblematic traditional shops in Ciutadella. Famous for the wide range of cheeses that can be found there, it is one of the almost mandatory visits for those looking for the authenticity of a piece of cheese made in the artisanal way. But where did this passion for cheese come from? Although the grandparents - Sebastià Fayas and na Maria Al·lès - already incorporated it into the offer of the small grocery store, it was his father, Joan Triay, and his mother, Maria Fayas, who promoted a business that is still deeply rooted in Ciutadella. And with prospects of continuing to exist in the future thanks to the interest of Nina's two daughters, Maria and Teresa.

What can you tell us about how the business started, towards the second half of the 20s of the last century?
Ca Na Fayas must have opened in 1925. My grandparents had a house next door, and they also had a vegetable garden, where my grandfather used to sell what he got from there, besides killing pigs and also making overdone After a few years, the grandfather became ill, and they had to stop. And, after a while, my mother, na Maria Fayas, took over the store. First they were at a garage on Carrer Murada d'Artrutx itself. Like my grandfather, my father started killing pigs and also sold the products, then there were no health controls that exist now. And they also introduced cheese, which they bought from places they knew were good and cured them themselves.

So curing cheese for sale has always been a feature of Ca na Fayas?
I've always seen it, that they bought the cheese from the farms, but then cured it in a garage. Little by little, curing the cheese began or took up a lot of space, because they also sold the meat there, until they had to take a second premises, and I remember how they had two garages full of cheese. I had a job!

Was it one of the first shops to sell cheese in town?
Perhaps she was one of the first in Ciutadella to start curing and selling cheese. Then, they take a lot from Alaior, which has always had a lot of names. But at home they never bought any, they went directly to the places and we cured the pieces noltros.

And where did they buy the cheeses?
I bought some from Biniatzem, for example, which is now my brother's estate, Sebastià Triay Fayas. I remember going there with my father, just when I got my driving licence, and also looking for one in other municipalities. From some of the places that started, we still sell cheese. What has changed, inevitably, is the farmer, because we are talking forty years apart or more.

What were you looking for in the cheese to take it to the store?
That they were good, above all. That they weren't very salty either. My father had a very good eye for choosing the pieces, although he never tasted them. He made sure they didn't swell, for example, but he didn't ask for it to taste. This was something I started doing when I left the store.

Are you still buying from estates?
Yes, of course! We have artisanal cheese that comes to us from La Payesa, or from the farms that my brother has bought, but we have it from many other places. In addition, production has improved a lot, now there are no longer salty cheeses like there were some time ago. Although it always depends a lot on the farm of origin, what the cows eat... The artisanal method is the same for everything, but the hand of the person who makes the cheese also has a lot of influence. I usually know by sight if a piece will sound salty.

That's what it means to have an eye!
I see a lot of them at the end of the day. In addition, as we eat a lot of salt today, there are those who may find some cheeses too salty. However, artisanal cheese is quite successful, more so than pasteurized milk cheese, although we have that too.

Has the clientele changed since you took over the store in 1982?
Before, not so many people traveled, and when I started I didn't have so many clients from outside. But we also keep the customer at home, the ones for life. And also many Mallorcans who are very loyal. The story is that now there are many farms that sell the cheese on the same farm, so there is more to choose from. Going to a direct farm is great, but there they can't choose.

In addition to the usual employees, her daughters, na Maria and na Teresa, have been added to the store in recent years. Does this mean that Ca na Fayas will have a fourth generation to continue the business?
I can see that they like the business there, and they also get along, so it seems that the store will continue with them. I now come and go, because I really like it, especially in the mornings. The atmosphere is very polished. For Sant Joan, for example, we have a lot of Majorcan customers who come every year, and we invite them to a jockey and some cheese. The fact of having a good relationship with the customer does a lot for the success of the store. Almanco, we always try to make the customer happy.