MEET YOUR {OUTSTANDING} MAKER - MEYER CHEESE

Settle in for the story of Meyer Cheese, a journey from a hay shed in Holland to being one of New Zealand’s most awarded cheesemakers and recognised for their amazing Dutch-style Gouda. On a journey of innovation in 2023 they added Old Master King of Parmesan, as a homage to co-founder Ben Meyer, collecting a Silver Medal at the 2023 Outstanding Food Producer Awards.

Cobblestone streets meander past old windmills, blue skies crown lush meadows and silent streams. Through the stone archway of a small monastery, wafts the aroma of ageing cheese.

It’s here that Ben and Fieke Meyer, future Dutch cheese artisans and standout New Zealand producers, chanced upon their passion. It was the ‘70s when the Meyers stumbled across cheesemaking monks, plying traditional methods out of a small village in Holland. Witnessing the monks craft inspired the couple, and they returned home to transform their hay shed into a miniature factory. By 1976, locals enjoyed the first slice of Meyer Cheese—a young farmhouse Gouda—and soon, a charming cellar shop welcomed paying customers.

But the allure of fresh pastures and new opportunities soon beckoned. In 1984, they made way for another dairy heartland, having nothing to declare but a flourishing passion, eight years of experience, and a nine-month-old son—baby Miel.

The Meyers settled in the fertile Waikato, just west of a burgeoning Hamilton. It was the perfect place to reestablish their craft, blending time-honoured Dutch traditions with matchless resources and sustainable practices. Eventually, they purchased a block of rolling green hills under the watch of Mount Karioi.

This is where Miel, now Meyer Cheese general manager, grew up. From infancy, he’s absorbed the intricacies of cheesemaking, always in the thick of the family business and surrounded by the land that provides. "Ever since I could talk, I was absorbing cheese talk," he jokes. "As a child, we lived inside the cheese factory; half was a factory, and the other half was our family home. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner, seven days a week—all surrounded by cheese.”  

In fact, last year’s Silver Medal for their NZ King of Parmesan brought back memories for Miel. He won his first silver medal at age seven for a cheese he crafted himself.

However, as Miel went from seven to seventeen, the allure of the family trade faded. Long hours cancelling out holidays and summers left him wanting, by the time he finished university, he had already clocked 12 years in the factory. So, he left for Auckland, vowing never to return. Or so he thought.

In 2008, the Global Financial Crisis hit. Shortly after, a 21-year-old Miel welcomed his first child. With a push for voluntary redundancies at his lab job — fortunately, Miel hadn't strayed too far from the realm of food — and a young family to support, he looked homeward. 

Offering up his lab spot to someone who needed it more, he returned to Waikato and what began as a temporary summer job unexpectedly rekindled a passion. "I realised it wasn't so bad," he admits. "By that time, I valued family more. Business success was personal, not just superficial."

For a few years, he further honed his skills under the close tutelage of his parents. Then, at age 24, Ben and Fieke handed him the reins. "I didn't even know what an invoice was.” Miel reflects. “I was so young when I took over, and I had to learn as I went and give a lot of respect to our customers, the supermarkets, marketing people and ourselves.”

Miel's challenge was to preserve Meyer Cheese's artisan quality while navigating a modern market. “My parents are true artisanal cheesemakers from the south of Holland," he explains. "You made the cheese and put it on the windowsill, and the village came and bought it. We still focus on quality, but the change has been in how we present it—how we market.”

Moreover, Miel had to maintain Meyer Cheese’s commitment to sustainability, which was established by his parents when they planted roots in the ‘80s. “Mum and Dad are unique for the older generation from southern Europe.” Miel shares. “Mum, in particular, considered sustainability in every business decision. They would be discussing, 'Hey, are we going to do this? How are we taking care of the land—pasture, milk, cheese quality?' They always said, 'If you take care of the land, it will take care of you in the long term.'"

Ben and Fieke’s influence remains a cornerstone of the business. Meyer Cheese sources 90% of its milk from the family farm and goat and sheep milk from local suppliers. They have a healthy 450 head of milking cattle share milked on a luxurious 500 acres, running a pasture-only system. They champion stewardship by planting native flora and support community initiatives such as Friends of Barret’s Bush and Hamilton City’s gully restoration and native tree planting. 

Miel envisions a future where Meyer Cheese continues its environmental stewardship. "Future development will revolve around tree planting and ensuring our farm is leaps ahead in terms of environmental care and protection,” he explains. “We're dedicated to investing in initiatives like tree planting, maintaining fenced waterways and monitoring lichen growth.” Even in their semi-retirement, Ben and Fieke remain actively involved in these efforts, ensuring their legacy of sustainability thrives.

This influence is still as vital to Meyer Cheese’s success as it was to Miel in his younger, greener days. He thanks his time in the factory as a boy for giving him an intuition that is hard to learn. “I can walk through the factory, smell, see, eat, and sometimes notice something is not right,” explains Miel. “I will have memories from childhood, my parent's voices guiding me.” 

Whether Miel was wrangling receipts, pleasing clients, or thinking about how to get their delicious product out there, this guidance always rang true.  “Dad always said, 'At the very beginning, don't worry about anything. Just make sure the cheese is the best quality. Focus on making cheese, and people will understand; the rest will take care of itself.'”

And with such great tutelage, you might wonder what’s in store for the next generation of Meyers. Two of Miel’s boys are interested in the family business, but there’s no pressure, Miel explains. “There’s a wealth of knowledge within the family to support incoming cheesemakers. My oldest son says he wants to be the farmer, and my middle son wants to do all the marketing. Sounds like a great trifecta; the opportunity is there, but it’s not expected of them.”

Indeed, it does. With a new generation closely following Miel, Ben, and Fieke, who are still ready to offer knowledge when needed, it’s a fascinating future for Meyer Cheese. Each wheel of cheese delivers a taste of what happens when age-old methods meet the matchless quality of New Zealand soil and stock. But they do so with respect for the land that, as Fieke affirms, will surely pay them back in years to come. 

 Simply put by Miel, “We're not just making cheese—we're making a difference.”

To experience this taste and learn more about the family’s origin and methods, visit Meyer Cheese's website here.