28th October 2025
cheese culture
How a Swiss is redefining Finland's cheese culture.
Swiss-born Peter Dörig has been living in Finland for over 30 years and combines traditional craftsmanship from his homeland with local Finnish milk to create new and daring cheese varieties at his Herkkujuustola cheese dairy. .
He has Appenzell in his blood, adventure in his heart, and has never lost his Swiss accent. When Peter Dörig speaks, there is a faint echo of the Swiss Alps in his voice—even after three decades in Finland. The cheesemaker with the charming Appenzell accent is someone who builds bridges: between tradition and new beginnings, between his origins and his adopted home, between memories of Ovomaltine and international success. Life brought the adventurer to the small town of Sastamala in western Finland, where he has been running his Herkkujuustola cheese dairy for almost exactly 23 years: Today, it is synonymous with Swiss quality workmanship, Finnish curiosity, and the courage to try something new. The fact that it is a Swiss man who is teaching the Finns what real cheese is all about is one of those stories that could not be made up.
Peter's path is not a straight one – it leads over mountain roads and log cabins, via truck journeys to Central Asia and markets in Finland. It is the story of a man who first traveled halfway around the world and then returned to his family roots when he started his own family. Peter has found happiness in life and now shares it with the whole world: “With every cheese I send, I include a piece of happiness.”
Peter's first childhood memories of cheese: melted Tilsiter in hot Ovaltine. As a young boy, he could never have imagined that he would one day follow in his father's footsteps and become a cheesemaker himself.
Peter, you have been living in Finland for many decades now, but you still have your Swiss accent.
Peter: (laughs) Yes, that's true. I think the accent has stayed because I never really wanted to let it go. I still keep in close contact with my friends, family, and of course my father back home via WhatsApp. I'm flying back to Switzerland at the beginning of November: my father is turning 90! He has eaten almost exclusively butter and cheese throughout his life. For me, this is the best proof that good cheese-making keeps you healthy.
What kind of cheese environment did you grow up in?
Peter: I was born in Appenzell and grew up in the canton of Thurgau. My father made Appenzeller cheese for most of his life – cheese was not just a food for us, but part of our identity. As a child, my favorite cheese was Tilsiter. Before school, my mother would make me a hot Ovomaltine, cut the rind off the Tilsiter, and crumble small pieces into the steaming cup. Then the cheese would start to melt, become stringy, and turn rubbery—a culinary low point, as we would say today. But for me at the time, it was pure happiness, a piece of childhood in a cup.
Did you know back then that you would one day become a cheesemaker and follow in your father's footsteps?
Peter: No. Actually, as a little boy, I wanted to be a long-distance truck driver. I was attracted to the big wide world, being on the road, the unknown. In my heart, I was always an adventurer. But my father was convinced that I should learn a proper trade first. And there was really only one option – cheese maker. But my thirst for adventure wasn't so easy to quench. After my apprenticeship, I set off and drove across Europe, from Switzerland to Sweden to Norway. I always had a piece of cheese with me in the passenger seat – my little companion from home.
“I was drawn to the big wide world, to being on the road, to the unknown. In my heart, I was always an adventurer.” A constant companion on his long journeys: a wheel of high-quality cheese on the passenger seat.
How did you end up in Finland?
Peter: In 1994, I read in a Swiss truckers' magazine that Finnish truck drivers drive all the way to the Himalayas. I was immediately captivated by this combination of adventure and vastness. I had always wanted to visit Russia anyway, so in 1995 I made my way to the Finnish city of Nokia. I didn't speak a word of Finnish, but that never stopped me. I drove to Uzbekistan with the owner of the transport company. A year later, they called me again: did I want to take over the Central Asia tour? So I moved to Finland for good. When the tours ended in early 2000, I bought a log cabin deep in the forest. Because I knew: this is a place I will always want to return to – or maybe even stay for good.
And you stayed.
Peter: In the summer of 2000, I was at the market in Häijää, where I met Jenni. She is Finnish. We have been together for 25 years now. Without her, Herkkujuustola, our cheese dairy, would not exist. She was by my side from the very beginning, translating, organizing, creating structures. I often say: there is no successful man without a strong woman behind him – and that's true. Jenni opened the door to Finland for me. Thanks to her, an adventure has become a home.
“Jenni is Finnish. We have been together for 25 years now. Without her, Herkkujuustola, our cheese dairy, would not exist. She has been by my side from the very beginning.”
And how did cheese catch up with you again—or rather, how did your cheese journey begin in Finland?
Peter: Quite simply: through hunger. During my years as a long-distance truck driver, we stocked up on supplies for our trips at the supermarket. I tried my way through the Finnish cheese counters, but everything was wrapped in plastic: white, uniform, tasteless, lifeless, characterless. The selection at the local markets was also limited. Surely it had to be possible to do better than that! In 2002, Jenni and I founded our own cheese dairy – on October 20, a date I will never forget. To prepare, I refreshed my rusty cheese-making skills for two weeks with my brother in Switzerland. I took five liters of brine with me – the basis for all my cheeses. After more than 20 years, this brine is still the same. It is, so to speak, the DNA of my cheese dairy. Finnish cheesemakers don't understand this approach of literally carrying on a living culture. But it creates exactly the quality that makes our cheeses so unique.
How did you go about setting up the business back then?
Peter: I didn't have a business plan or a ready-made strategy, just the urge to create something of my own and confidence in my craft. After two weeks with my brother, I had refreshed my old skills and rediscovered my rhythm and feel for cheese making. Back in Finland, with brine and two different types of cheese in my luggage, I set up shop in the market square, let people taste my cheese, and handed out flyers. There were only two questions on the flyers: “What do you like best?” and “What would you pay for it?” The responses were clear: around 80 percent wanted strong cheese—with character, with rough edges. That was my starting point.
“Making cheese itself was never the problem—I had that in my blood. But everything else was new territory: marketing, accounting, EU standards, sales. In Switzerland, I was simply responsible for good quality, for the product itself. Here in Finland, I suddenly had to be everything at once—craftsman, salesman, entrepreneur.”
Looking back, how do you remember your first years as a Swiss cheese maker on Finnish soil?
Peter: Cheese making itself was never the problem—I had that in my blood. But everything else was new territory: marketing, accounting, EU standards, sales. In Switzerland, I was simply responsible for good quality, for the product itself. Here in Finland, I suddenly had to be everything at once—craftsman, salesman, entrepreneur. Luckily, Jenni was there. She spoke Finnish, I only a few fragments. Without her, I would have been lost. And yet—or perhaps because of this—we were welcomed with open arms from the very beginning. “The Swiss must know,” people said. That was my door opener.
And just a few years later, your cheese was flying around the world.
Peter: To be honest, in the beginning I only had one goal: to become self-employed, to build a business that would allow me to feed my family, give them a home, and enjoy good cheese myself. Then suddenly I got a call from FinnAir. They actually wanted my cheese for their business class. Suddenly my cheese was flying around the world. Shortly after that, Finnish chefs from the fine dining scene got in touch, eager to have my cheese on their menus. It must have been 2005 when the Finns' regional focus on cheese became stronger and stronger and my name became a household name in this context. Over the years, we have become well known. I never had a grand strategy. I just wanted to make good cheese and stay authentic. Then 2018 was a decisive moment: we built our new cheese dairy with a restaurant and show operation.
Peter's Marmori, currently the only Finnish cheese on display at Rolling Cheese in Helsinki, has now made it all the way to New York. Just a few days ago, he sent his second large shipment of cheese to Long Island.
Your cheese has now made it onto the shelves at Murray's Cheese in New York.
Peter: A year ago, I received an invitation from a New York importer to attend an in-house exhibition, followed by the 2025 Fancy Food Show in the global metropolis. There I was in June, alongside all the big names in the cheese world. It was crazy! But it started earlier than that: I remember one of the first sales talks at the beginning of the year with the American cheese importers. What could I offer them? What made my cheese unique? After all, I can't supply Alpine milk or fresh mountain grass. Our cows eat silage – I can't compete with Swiss nature. The answer came almost by itself: Finland is the happiest country in the world. So I said, “With every cheese I send out into the world, I pack a piece of happiness.” They were thrilled, stood up and applauded – because it wasn't about marketing or numbers, but about an idea that came from the heart. A few days ago, I sent my second large shipment of cheese to Long Island.
But it's not just the taste and history that make your cheese so unique.
Peter: Because you eat with your eyes too! Our Marmori is the best example of this: a carefully crafted cheese cuvée made from Appenzeller and Morbier. The idea came about after almost three years of experimentation. For a regional TV show, I first tried a special Camembert: white on the outside, black on the inside, colored with ash. My brother was thrilled, but for shipping it had to be a hard cheese with a long shelf life. I had actually intended Marmori for the American market. But then something unexpected happened: the Finns loved it! And why? Because the cheese evokes emotions—its appearance and taste come together. That's exactly what I wanted to achieve: a product that pleases the eye, surprises the palate, and gives tradition a new, modern look.
You probably wouldn't have been so successful so quickly in Switzerland. What would you say are the biggest differences between cheese culture here in Finland and in Switzerland?
Peter: For us Swiss, cheese is a staple food, so we are very spoiled. The Finns aren't quite there yet, but they are on their way. There are wonderful local traditions here, such as Leipäjuusto, bread cheese: a fresh, lightly salted cheese that is eaten warm with cloudberries. It's unique, and I often say to the Finns, “Don't forget your roots!” You can create new things, but traditions must always remain part of your identity.
“I have four wonderful daughters. They are my lifeline, my driving force, and my daily motivation to send Herkkujuustola cheese out into the world.”
Why are the Swiss so much more passionate about traditional cheese-making?
Peter: Swiss cheese-makers are much more conservative. Our nation has existed since 1291, and our roots are deeply anchored in the soil. We produce incredibly good cheese—but we hardly ever question it. Further development? Why? We rest on our centuries-old tradition and the quality of our cheese. Finnish roots, on the other hand, have only had about a hundred years to grow. That's why they are more curious, more open, constantly on the lookout for new ideas. They want to belong, to be European – and this urge for development makes them innovative and eager to experiment. My cheeses combine both facets.
What are your hopes for Finnish cheese culture, and also for your cheese dairy, in the coming years?
Peter: Finnish cheese culture will grow and become more diverse—that's for sure. People are slowly realizing that not all cheese is the same. There is a difference between artisanal and industrial products. And that comes at a price. I hope that more small producers will emerge and that diversity will develop. And I want to accompany this process with our shared cheese-making life. I have four wonderful daughters; they are my lifeline, my drive, and my daily motivation to send Herkkujuustola cheese out into the world. And every time someone in New York, Helsinki, or Zurich bites into my cheese, I know that it's not just about the taste—they're tasting a little bit of Switzerland, a little bit of Finland, and a whole lot of happiness.
Herkkujuustola
Kurvosentie 3, 38420 Sastamala, Finland
website: www.herkkujuustola.fi
instagram: www.instagram.com/herkkujustola