The new cheese dairy of the Gstaad dairy is located on Lauenenstrasse. It is set back somewhat from the street and is attached to the Bauwerk AG building. Although 40 metres long, it does not appear to be huge from the outside. The playful facade made of Swiss wood and the narrow window sections make it appear light. The construction costs of the state-of-the-art production and storage facility amount to CHF 12m.

Bigger than it looks
The sheer size of the building only becomes apparent when you enter it. At maximum capacity, 18,000 litres of milk can be processed daily in the production hall and up to 25,000 loafs can be cared for and stored in the cheese cellar. At peak times, 15,000 loafs have been stored there so far. "We have built for the future," explains managing director René Ryser. Now the added value can remain in the region, because the production capacity is guaranteed.

The aim is to grow, but that does not mean that they want to increase production disproportionately. "We want the cheese market to remain stable,” says Ryser. He means that the selling price of Gstaad mountain cheese should remain stable. "If we have to produce more cheese and sell it below the price, existing buyers will also negotiate more favourable prices." This would affect margins, and the dairy does not want that. The aim is to win more customers first and to increase production in line with demand. This is always possible, because part of the milk is sold to Cremo AG. And: because of the high seasonal fluctuation, it will never be possible to process all the milk in the cheese dairy.

Old building
What will become of the old building has not yet been decided. Some concepts, interested parties and ideas are available. "At the moment, all possibilities are still being considered: a new building, a renovation or a sale," says Ryser. But the cheesemaker promises that the grocery shop will be retained in any case.

Open day postponed
The open day for the public had to be postponed due to Corona regulations. "We'll make up for it as soon as the situation eases."

Based on AvS/Blanca Burri