Christoph Holenstein – Guarding the Secret of the Cheese

The ancient heritage building located in the center of the historical village of Appenzell seems almost too small to comfortably accommodate a man of Christoph Holenstein’s dimensions.

The decoratively painted and carefully restored wooden ceilings of the Appenzeller cheese headquarters hang threateningly low over the head of the tall, stately director. In fact, everything here is a lot smaller and simpler than might be expected from the headquarters of a cheese producer as renowned as Appenzeller cheese. Not only is Appenzeller “the spiciest cheese of Switzerland,” it is also one of Switzerland’s most popular export cheeses. Over 60% of the production is sold and consumed abroad, three quarters in Germany alone.

But in Appenzellerland, everything is a little different and simpler than elsewhere. On the lush hills between Lake Constance and the Säntis massif, cows graze all day on rich herbal grass. Their milk, delivered by 900 local farmers, does not go to a single central production location; instead, it is brought to one of the 50 village cheese dairies in the cantons Appenzell Innerrhoden and Appenzell Ausserrhoden as well as in St. Gallen and Thurgau. Because only these dairies are permitted to produce Appenzeller® cheese, in loyal observation of the traditional and strictly secret recipe.

Where everything should stay the same

Tradition, heritage, and customs – these are very serious matters in Appenzellerland, and they are maintained and upheld with dedication and conviction. Cheesemaking is as much a part of this world as other ancient traditions, such as Appenzeller string music, Talerschwingen, and Appenzeller folk art.

Christoph Holenstein agrees that these all-important customs should be associated with the famous cheese – in addition to the legendary secret of the unique herbal brine, the secret referred to repeatedly in a celebrated ad campaign, created by a Bernese advertising agency and featuring three weathered Appenzeller men. In the ad, one thing becomes perfectly clear: None of the three gnarled old herdsmen will ever reveal the secret, no matter what is going on in the rest of the world. Because, ideally, here everything, or at least most things, should stay the same.

The Appenzeller Show Dairy, just a few kilometers away from the headquarters, steams with heat and humidity. Everything here is wet because the floors, walls, vats, and sieves are thoroughly washed down and cleaned after every work step, in readiness for the next production cycle to start. Steam billows up from an enormous copper vat into which 6,500 liters of raw milk are poured under constant stirring. After rennet is added, the milk thickens and separates into curds and whey. With practiced moves, the cheesemakers distribute the finely chopped curds into round sieves where they are formed under high pressure into cheese loaves. These are then lowered into a salt bath, where the rind forms.

In the cellar, loaves of cheese are stacked on long shelves several meters high. With a silent hum, a robot travels from shelf to shelf and, fully automated, flips cheese loaf after cheese loaf, coating them with the secret herbal brine so they can mature into authentic Appenzeller cheese.

Holenstein can’t remember when he tasted Appenzeller cheese for the first time but knows, “The first time I made Appenzeller cheese was in 1976 while I was doing an apprenticeship as a cheesemaker.” Why did he choose this particular apprenticeship? “I just didn’t want to go to school anymore,” laughs Holenstein, whose build reveals his background in agriculture. In truth, however, his choice wasn’t quite that random. Though he grew up in the city, he has always had a great love for the countryside and actually learned to milk cows as a ten-year-old boy on holidays in the countryside.

Is there another brand he really appreciates and admires? Marlboro, says Holenstein without a moment’s hesitation. “And I’ve never been a smoker.” He is simply impressed by how the notion of freedom and adventure has consistently and uniformly been conveyed by the Marlboro man over such a long period of time. The approach is compatible with Holenstein’s own emphasis on consistency, clarity, and lack of pretension in general, but also with respect to his style of brand communication. “Some call it stubborn. Others say it’s consistent.”

Holenstein himself is happiest when he is at home – the big world out there doesn’t tempt him; he much prefers to enjoy life with his family in his 140-year-old farmhouse. He advises the next generation to take their time to learn things from the bottom up. In his opinion, success results from a mixture of experience and knowledge, with some common sense thrown in. The ability to stay calm also doesn’t hurt, and people should concentrate on their personal strengths and skills. “You don’t have to be able to do everything in life. But the things you choose to do should be done well and consistently.”