On Friday, July 3, at 10:00 a.m., Gabriela, a cheesemaker at CONO Kaasmakers, rang the bell at the Alkmaar cheese market—the signal that the market can begin in full accordance with tradition. Prior to the visit to the cheese market, Councilwoman Tineke Bouchier welcomed Gabriela and her guests at City Hall.
A fitting tribute to the craftsmanship behind North Holland cheese. Every day, Gabriela and her colleagues work hard to turn the milk from CONO’s dairy farmers into the most delicious cheese. At CONO Kaasmakers, we believe that the best cheese is made together. Together with our dairy farmers—who care for the cows—cheesemakers, and partners, we work side by side every day to produce high-quality cheese. You can taste that in Beemster® cheese.
Together with FrieslandCampina Lutjewinkel, CONO showcases why North Holland is the Netherlands’ premier cheese-producing region. With the recently awarded Beemster® Royaal Grand Cru named “World’s Best Cheese,” this has also been recognized internationally. That award demonstrates not only the cheese’s exceptional quality but also how much the North Holland landscape contributes to it. The fertile clay soil, pasture-fed milk, the craftsmanship of the cheesemakers, and natural aging all combine to create the rich flavor for which North Holland cheese is renowned. That is why our cheeses from North Holland bear the PDO label—North Holland cheese with a Protected Designation of Origin that is produced entirely in North Holland.
The fact that Gabriela herself opened the cheese market shows that good cheese starts with the people who make it. Behind every cheese are artisans who are committed to quality every day: from dairy farmers to cheesemakers. Thanks to their craftsmanship, the tradition of North Holland cheese lives on. CONO Kaasmakers has been a co-organizer of the Alkmaar Cheese Market for many years, where Beemster® cheese is showcased on the Waagplein. This is done in collaboration with cheese producer FrieslandCampina/Lutjewinkel. Together, they ensure the cheeses are featured at the cheese market, where visitors can witness the tradition of cheese trading and learn more about its origins. In this way, they help preserve the centuries-old tradition of the Alkmaar Cheese Market.
About theAlkmaarCheese Market
TheAlkmaarCheese Market is the oldest and largest traditional cheese market in the Netherlands. Every year, this centuries-old spectacle attracts more than two hundred thousand visitors from the Netherlands and abroad to the Waagplein, where cheese has been traded in the traditional manner since 1593. Today, the Cheese Market has become an icon ofAlkmaar and a major tourist attraction in North Holland. Its two Michelin stars underscore the special value of this tradition. The Cheese Market takes place every Friday morning from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., from late March through late September. In July and August, there are also evening cheese markets on Tuesday evenings from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
