When Anita and Peter de Boer moved from the Netherlands nearly twenty years ago they found themselves missing the authentic taste of cheese from their homeland. Dreaming of recapturing that taste, Anita began tinkering with gouda recipes at home, but the cheese always seemed to be missing something. On a trip to the Netherlands, Anita met a cheese maker who taught her the secrets to making a traditional Dutch gouda. Armed with the knowledge, Anita was finally able to reproduce the cheese of her homeland and add a few unique twists as well!

In 2010 Anita and Peter accomplished a dream. They opened their small 36-acre dairy in Rochester and the even smaller Tunawerth Creamery, which is run out of a garage-sized structure behind their house in Tenino. Although not certified, their small, family-owned dairy and creamery are run in accordance with organics standards. Their happy cows graze on the pastures in Rochester nearly year round and in the coldest months they are fed GMO-free barley that Anita and Peter harvest themselves.

Their gouda is made from raw milk and aged for 60 days. Look for their nettle, red pepper, and cumin goudas, as well as their ultra creamy cream cheese! Tunawerth also makes a low-pasteurized milk. The bottles are held at 145 degrees for 30 minutes. The low-pasteurization process kills bacteria but keeps all the beneficial enzymes in tact. Their yogurts are made from raw milk and are later heated as part of the thickening process. They even have a Greek yogurt with no additives. It’s made the old-fashioned way where the whey is strained out to create a thicker, creamier texture.

Anita and Peter pride themselves on being a small family dairy and creamery. They pay attention to all the details that go into making a great tasting product from start to finish. And it really pays off in the final product. Tunawerth’s handcrafted cheese and dairy products are a favorite amongst staff and customers with good reason. The milk is rich and delicious, the yogurt is creamy with the perfect hint of tartness, and the hard cheeses are too good to believe. Give yourself a treat and pick up any of Tunawerth’s delectable products!

 Tunawerth Creamery