Joe Schneider

Coming Up

Training at Cornell University gave Joe Schneider a formal base before the work moved into production settings. From 1995 in Holland, the craft was Greek cheese made by hand; from 1998 in Sussex, England, it was daily work on a small biodynamic farm. By Daylesford Creamery in Daylesford from 2001, the work had widened to include designing and building Daylesford Creamery as well as cheese development, keeping the practical concerns of milk, place, facility, and make procedure in the same frame. Stichelton is the current expression of that line of work. Since 2006, Joe has been co-founder, producer and cheesemaker of Stichelton of Stichelton Dairy, with the making organized around a farm-based dairy and a cheese intended to carry its source clearly.

Where They Are Now

Farmstead cheesemaking remains the work at Stichelton Dairy at Collingthwaite Farm on the Welbeck Estate, where Schneider continues as the Cheesemaker Behind Stichelton. The role is narrow in the useful sense: make the cheese, keep the dairy close to the farm, and let the raw material set the terms. The stated aim is direct: "To keep it simple and genuine, and to make sure our cheese allows the nature of the farm, pasture, cows, and milk to shine through in an authentic way." For a cheesemaker, that places technique in service of legibility rather than display; the cheese is judged by how well it carries farm, pasture, cows, and milk. The working culture is treated as part of production discipline. "We want Stichelton Dairy to be a rewarding place to work, small enough that everyone feels like they can contribute something meaningful." In a small dairy, that scale matters: the people handling the milk and cheese remain close enough to affect the outcome.

Signature

The named signature is Stichelton, the cheese Joe Schneider makes at Stichelton Dairy.

In Their Words “To keep it simple and genuine, and to make sure our cheese allows the nature of the farm, pasture, cows, and milk to shine through in an authentic way.” “We want Stichelton Dairy to be a rewarding place to work, small enough that everyone feels like they can contribute something meaningful.”