Plymouth cheesemaker Jesse Werner was born and raised in Vermont but went halfway around the world before starting his career in cheesemaking. He completed a degree in sociology in Massachusetts, a certificate in business English in Seville, Spain, and an MBA in Prague, Czech Republic. All those degrees just weren't enough. He was hungry for something more. Back in Vermont in 2008-09, Jesse attended the Vermont Institute of Artisanal Cheese to study cheesemaking – its chemistry, microbiology and design principles.
Now, he heads up cheesemaking at one of the oldest cheese operations in the country, founded in 1890 by John Coolidge, father of President Calvin Coolidge. Plymouth produces artisanal raw cow’s milk cheese with milk from a single herd on a local farm -- talk about terroire! They are granular curd cheeses, a style brought to the New World by its first European settlers. They require a lot of time and manual labor (the curds and whey must be repeatedly stirred and drained), so they're incredibly rare. Not only is Plymouth preserving this distinctive American heritage style, they're also making some of the most delicious cheddars we have ever tasted.