Winchester Cheese Company facts for kids
Winchester Cheese Company was a special company that made delicious artisan cheese in Winchester, California. This town is located in Riverside County, in sunny Southern California.
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The Story of Winchester Cheese
The company was started by a man named Jules Wesselink. He was born in the Netherlands, a country famous for its cheese. When he was in his twenties, Jules moved to the United States. He first worked at a dairy farm owned by his future wife's family.
Later, in the 1950s, Jules moved to Artesia to start his very own dairy farm. He then moved again to a beautiful valley near Winchester, close to Temecula. This area is about two hours southeast of Los Angeles and not far from San Diego.
How Gouda Cheese Began
In 1995, the price of milk dropped a lot. This made Jules think about new ideas. He visited his hometown of Haarlem in the Netherlands. There, he learned how to make traditional Gouda cheese.
When he returned to California, Jules started making "Gouda boerenkaas," which means "farmer's cheese." At first, he used milk from his own Holstein cows, which are a type of cow from the Netherlands. After 2001, he started getting milk from other farms too.
Commercial production of Winchester Gouda cheese began in 1996. By 2008, the company was making about 100,000 pounds of cheese every year!
More Than Just Cheese
Over the years, Winchester Cheese Company grew. It became more than just a place to make cheese. They added a gift shop where visitors could buy souvenirs. There was also a tasting area where people could try different cheeses. Plus, they offered tours so visitors could see how the cheese was made.
Winchester cheeses won many awards in competitions around the world. Their cheeses were sold in special cheese shops, fancy restaurants, and wineries across Southern California. You could also find them at local farmer's markets.
The company made different flavors of Gouda cheese. Some popular ones included a spicy jalapeño Gouda and a flavorful cumin Gouda. They also offered Gouda cheeses that had been aged for different amounts of time, giving them unique tastes.
The End of an Era
Jules Wesselink, the founder of Winchester Cheese Company, passed away in 2011. After his passing, the future of the cheese production became uncertain.
By August 2013, the company's phone number was no longer working, and their website had disappeared. The Winchester Cheese Company eventually closed its doors.
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