Saxon Creamery, in Cleveland, Wisconsin, makes some of my favorite cheeses. I first “met” Saxon Creamery Cheeses in 2010 while on a cheese tour sponsored by Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board. Part of the tour included a Trade Show featuring several cheesemakers, including Jerry Heimerl, Owner of Saxon Creamery, which at the time was called Saxon Homestead Cheese. That year, Jerry won multiple awards at the ACS Competition in Seattle. Later that year, David Diteman of Willis Marketing, brought a selection of Saxon’s Cheeses to my cheese shop, which he and I cut, wrapped and displayed for a photoshoot.
Fast forward to 2014… my dear friend and cheese nerd, Jimme Mares, introduced me to Lisa Hall from Saxon Creamery… and that’s how we met. She sent me a few wedges which I used in several recipes.
Lisa graciously agreed to participate in my Virtual Q&A with Cheese Professionals.
1.) Briefly tell me about yourself. How did you come to cheese? When did you realize you were a cheese geek?
I have always had a passion for home-grown, naturally raised, home-made, quality foods. I moved to our farm to raise our own animals and produce and preserve veggies/fruits from the land. Working at Saxon Creamery seemed to work along-side our principles of raising cows in lush pastures and producing a creamy rich milk and turning that milk into a quality artisan cheeses.
2.) Where do you work and what is your job title? Describe a “typical” work day.
Saxon Creamery, Cleveland, Wisconsin. I don’t have a title on my card as that limits my abilities, soooo if I have to have one:- “Jill of all Trades!”
3.) Do you have a favorite cheese or type? What would be your perfect pairing with this cheese?
I do love to “try” new cheeses. I have many on my list to try, but some of my favorites are: Saxon Creamery’s Snowfields Butterkase Style, Saxon Creamery’s Pastures Cheddar, Any Triple Crème, Some Blues, Some Washed Rinds, Fresh Buffalo Mozzarella.
4.) Raw vs. Pasteurized? Does it matter? What difference does it make in the final product?
This is a question I struggle with. There are so many pros and cons for each. I do like many Raw Milk Cheeses. There are some more pronounced flavors with a good aged Raw Milk Gouda for instance. However, we do have some Gouda at Saxon that is 2 years old and I cannot tell the difference if it is Raw or Pasteurized if blind folded. There are many really good Pasteurized cheeses too…
One of the pros that Saxon Creamery has noticed when switching from a Raw Cheese to a Pasteurized Product, is the more consistent product that we have been able to produce. We don’t have some of the wild differences from vat to vat.
5.) Should the US create a system similar the European scheme of protecting, controlling and/or regulating specific cheeses?
No. Let us be!!!!
6.) Please share with me one fun, non-cheesy fact about you.
Horses and I do not get along. I have been thrown off of a horse 3 times. Not the same horse and not the same day!
7.) If you could do one thing, anything, all day long, what would it be?
Cheese related: I love to cut the cheese wheels-it’s so therapeutic.
Non-Cheese related: Take pictures of anything in nature- I like to find beauty in all things, people, cheese, food, nature, animals…. Nature’s beauty speaks loudly.
Fun related: Do Zumba
Check out Lisa’s Bio here.
Interviews will continue through 2016… sometimes, they will be “stand-alone” and sometimes they will be presented as round-table discussions with several Cheese Professionals answering the same question. Those participating include Cheesemakers, ACS CCPs™,Cheesemongers and Cheese Professionals and Experts who contribute to this Wonderful World we call “Cheese”.
List of all Interviews from 2013: Cheesemakers, Cheesemongers.
List of 2015 Cheese Professionals.
List of all Cheese Professionals Bios.
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