Fromagerie St-Imier
Fromagerie Spielhofer SA
Josef Spielhofer
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Our cheese dairy was established in 1928 as a cooperative, called the "Société de Fromagerie Cormoret". At that time, the bulk of the 250,000 kg. of milk supplied was used for direct consumption, with the remainder being turned into Gruyere cheese.
From 1982, the Cormoret premises were rented by a cheese maker, called Josef Spielhofer. In 1983, the cheese dairy began to produce "TÊTE DE MOINE" cheese. In the beginning, 30% of the milk was turned into TÊTE DE MOINE, however this proportion was soon increased.
In May 1990, Josef Spielhofer purchased the premises and bought the milk quota from the milk producers. At the same time, he also purchased 400,000 kg. of surplus milk from the Zimmermann cheese dairy situated at La Chaux d'Abel.
The Renan cheese dairy was integrated into the company in 1998 and since 2000, we have also been receiving milk from the La Ferrière cooperative. In November 2003, production at the Cormoret and Renan sites was transferred to St-Imier.
At the present time, approximately five million kilos of milk are processed at our St-Imier cheese dairy, mainly into TÊTE DE MOINE and Gruyere but also into other cheeses such as Mont-Soleil and Bio Renan.
Electricity at the The St-Imier cheese dairy is supplied by a wind-powered generator from Juvent SA, enabling us to use the "Eolienne" (or Windmill) label on our products. |