Steeped in tradition and positioned for the future, Carr Valley Cheese is an institution not only recognized across Wisconsin, but also across the globe for its innovative, high-quality artisan cheeses.

Owner and Certified Master Cheesemaker Sid Cook has won more top national and international awards than any other cheesemaker in North America. All told, Carr Valley Cheese has amassed over 720 awards at national and international cheese competitions. Most recently, Cave Aged Marisa won Super Gold at the 2018 World Cheese Awards in Norway.

Long line of cheesemakers
Cook is a fourth-generation cheesemaker and has held a cheesemakers license for 50 years.

“Spending my childhood in a cheese factory outside of Plain, Wis., in the Irish Valley meant that everything was centered around cheese,” Cook says. “At age 12, I was making my own vats of cheese, and by age 16, I had my cheesemakers license. My uncles and grandparents were cheesemakers, and their knowledge and wisdom rubbed off on me. I never knew that I couldn’t do it. I’ve always been passionate about cheesemaking and haven’t known anything different.”

Carr Valley Cheese traces its origins back to 1902. It was one of hundreds of small, family-operated cheese factories dotting Wisconsin’s rural landscape.

An opportunity arose for Cook to purchase the La Valle cheese factory in 1986. At that time, small cheese factories would produce commodity cheeses that were purchased by a limited number of customers. If a cheesemaker wanted to develop a specialty cheese, they would have to market it directly to consumers through their cheese store or a market they had developed on their own.

“In the late ’70s, we produced our first artisan cheese,” Cook says. “Producing something besides commodity cheese gave us the opportunity to grow. We started to do things that nobody else was doing. I like being innovative and stepping outside of what has been done before.”

A spirit of innovation thrives at Carr Valley Cheese today. More than 100 different products are now produced, including over 50 original cheeses. Fourteen cheesemakers are responsible for crafting cheeses the old-fashioned way, by hand. Four cheese plants are scattered across southwest Wisconsin at Fennimore, Linden, La Valle and Mauston. Having different locations with their own unique sets of specialized equipment has been an advantageous configuration versus one larger centralized facility.

“We have a great website and eight cheese stores in seven communities,” Cook says. “Our retail locations have grown over the years. When people come to Wisconsin, they seek us out because they’ve seen our products in stores across the country.”

Retail locations are in Fennimore, La Valle, Mauston, Mazomanie, Middleton, Sauk City and Wisconsin Dells.

All about the customer
Consumer trends impact product demand in every industry, including the dairy industry. There continues to be a gravitation toward high-quality and differentiated dairy products.

“Butter is really hot right now,” Cook says. “We’ve just started to offer four different butters: goat, sheep, cow and Menage. We also recently worked on a unique collaboration with Budweiser to create a flavored cheese spread that uses real Budweiser. It’s a tremendous product, and we’re excited to be offering it online and at our retail locations. Other new products are in the works. Stay tuned!”

About 25 small family farms make up the base of the milk supply for Carr Valley Cheese. This includes one goat, three sheep and more than 20 dairy farms.

“Some farms have shipped their milk to us for four generations,” Cook says. “We value having a direct relationship with farmers. As needed, we balance our production by purchasing additional loads of milk from local farmer-owned cooperatives.

“I’m proud of our team and what we’ve accomplished,” he says. “There is a lot of pride and passion throughout this company for the products we make and customers we serve.”

To learn more, visit carrvalleycheese.com.

Giebel writes from Baraboo, Wis.