Cheese Buyer - May 2025

20 @specialityfood D eep in the mountains of Switzerland’s Lucerne canton, a 22-million-year- old sandstone cave plays host to up to 100,000 masterpieces – each carefully presided over by a dedicated team of experts in the craft of cheese. The Kaltbach range of cheeses – Kaltbach Le Gruyère AOP, Kaltbach Emmentaler 12.5C and humidity levels of 95%, in part thanks to a constant trickle of water from ground level, play an integral part in the optimum quality and resultant worldwide popularity of Kaltbach’s range. An ancient cave with modern value While today Kaltbach’s caves are famed for their labyrinthine nature, this was not always the case, explains Roland Ziswiler, head of operations and cave master of the Kaltbach Cave. Originally discovered by Neolithic farmers, “The Kaltbach caves were initially only 20 meters deep and were used for cheese storage,” he says. “They were first mentioned in writing in 1953. Behind this is the visionary pioneering spirit of a small cheese- making business – Refa (Reinhardt and Fankhauser) – which recognized the ideal conditions for cheese refinement in a natural sandstone cave.” The consistently high humidity and mineralized ambient air allowed for a special maturation that significantly influenced the flavour and texture of the cheese, and it took the accumulation of a lot of knowledge and numerous experiments before the maturation process could be optimally controlled. In 1993, Emmi took over the natural cave and has been continuously developing the Kaltbach expertise ever since. A process helmed by craftsman The subterraneous passages of the cave, named after Swiss cantons, are populated by ‘cave masters’ who have honed their craft over a lifetime of hands-on experience. “This is how we create Swiss cheese specialities of the highest quality and finest flavour,” says Roland, just one of the professionals who are proud to bring a great deal of passion, dedication and craftsmanship to their invaluable roles. SWISS MASTERPIECES AOP, Kaltbach Gouda, Kaltbach Appenzeller and Kaltbach Raclette, as well as the unique Kaltbach offerings of Kaltbach Creamy and Kaltbach Truffle – are all optimum examples of their type and boast characteristics entirely unique to the range thanks to their provenance. The Kaltbach cave’s naturally constant temperature of Introducing Kaltbach’s cave-aged cheeses – finely crafted by centuries-old expertise and provenance