Chällerhocker Halloween Edition
A visit with Walter Räss, master cheesemaker at the Tufertschwil cheese dairy. They launched the Chällerhocker cheese over 20 years ago. In this interview, he tells us how a simple idea evolved into a cheese with a strong character – with a name, a label, and a history that stretches all the way to Ireland and back.
How did the idea for the Chällerhocker come about?
We offered a year-old Appenzeller to two customers to include in their range. One customer was interested and said we needed a marketable name with an appealing label. A creative colleague offered us numerous suggestions. We settled on the name Chällerhocker because the cheese has been sitting ("hocked") in the cellar for a bit longer. The original label suggested an older man. But since it was a new cheese, we wanted a younger man. That's how we came up with the young man clinging to the cellar walls and shouting that the cheese was ready.
How did the idea for the Halloween edition come about?
One of our exporters was in Ireland to sell the cheese there. It was about two years ago in August when he had the idea for the Halloween edition. Halloween is a big hype, especially in English-speaking countries. So, we used the label for the first time for Halloween 2024, and now it's also being used in Switzerland by natürli .
We have been working with natürli together. I appreciate that our collaboration is uncomplicated, and the best part is that we know each other.