Langeveld family
Cheesemaker from Friesland
In Steggerda, Friesland, Piet Langeveld, his wife, and their three children run a dairy farm with approximately one hundred cows on sixty hectares of land. Here, they make cheeses weighing an impressive 65 kilos! They started this especially for Kaashandel Remijn.
Making 65-kilo cheeses
The Holstein cows enjoy the outdoors as long as possible. Weather permitting, they are put out to pasture at the end of March and remain there until November. After the cheese is made, the cheeses are first aged for three weeks on the farm. Then they are moved to the cheese warehouse of Kaashandel Remijn, where they are quietly aged for another eight to nine months. The result? Creamy, succulent cheeses weighing a whopping 65 kilos.
The popularity of the 65-kilo cheeses is evident from the trophy cabinet: these behemoths have already been awarded platinum twice at the Cum Laude Awards. Besides the large 65-kilo cheeses, Piet Langeveld also makes 16-kilo and 30-kilo cheeses (Heavy Boys) for Cheese Shop Remijn.
Collaboration through food specialties trade fair
Our first contact with Cheesemonger Remijn occurred at the Food Specialties Trade Fair in Houten. Kees Remijn was looking for a partner who could create truly eye-catching products. Piet Langeveld immediately saw the opportunity. So, he began making 65 kilos of cheeses especially for us.
These giants require special cheese barrels. Fortunately, Kees managed to track down the old cheese barrels belonging to retired cheesemaker Jos, the former maker of the 65-kilo cheeses, and also Piet's uncle. As a boy, Piet would watch his uncle's cheesemaking, where his fascination with these enormous cheeses began.
Two months after our initial contact, Piet was able to start working with his own "big boys." Since then, 65 kilos of cheese have been rolling out of the cheese factory, on their way to our cheesemongers.
