The story of a social worker who turned cheese into culinary art, to save the family farm

Istvan Varga is a self-trained cheese maker from Cund, Mures county, who decided to become an entrepreneur in order to save his parents’ farm. Having made EUR 45,000 in sales last year selling products made after original recipes such as cheese with walnut marinated in cognac and black cheese, he believes that Romanians are ready to embrace the new and look beyond the country’s traditional products.

What is your background?

I am an educator, or, to use an English term, a social worker. I’ve worked 11 years with german children with social problems. Alongside that, I am trained in daily processing. Also, I have a few notions on online marketing, which I acquired after working in such a company.

When and why did you decide to become an entrepreneur?

It was more than a decision. Rather, it was the only viable option. My parents had the farm and the animals, and it would have been a pity not to turn the raw materials with added value and the option to store for a longer period. When I went to the first course for matured Swiss cheese, seeing the beauty of those wheels of cheese that capture all that is best in the milk, gathering the the nutrients in solid form, it was clear to me what I need to do.

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How would you describe the road from business idea to reality?

As soon as you decide about what you want to do, to see it become a reality, you must be almost obsessed with it! You must be willing to give it all you’ve got. This is the only way you can convince others to support you, in case you need it.

If you read about the key to success, you will always hear stories about perseverance: you must be resilient. You will not make it the first time, things do not always go easily, and often it seems that everything is against you. But if you are determined, enthusiastic and passionate, you will make it. The rest, are trivial things and will get solved (or not), but passion is key. If you don’t want something with all your heart, there is a great chance you will fail.

Why do you call your business a manufacture?

Because apart from an electric mixer, everything we make in production is made by hand. The cheese wheels (weighing between 8 – 13 kilograms) must be turned everyday and washed 2 to 3 times a week, by hand. Every activity that leads to the end product involves manual labour.

Where did you learn how to make cheese?

In Gheorghieni, Harghita County, at AgroCaritas they hold courses on a regular basis on several types of agriculture and among others, courses on how to manufacture maturated cheese. I participated twice in this course, as well as as a five-day seminar held there.

How do you make the cheese?

The milk is warmed up at 30 degrees and then you add the rennet. After around 30 minutes, the rennet is cut with a special tool and you start mixing. After you warm it up to 45 degrees, you take the cheese and put in into wooden shapes and you press it for 24 hours. During this step, the biggest part of the whey is separated from the cheese. Next comes the brine bath, of around 15-24 hours, and after that ripening in the cellar, which involves handling the wheels of cheese in clear intervals, as well as certain conditions of humidity and temperature in the cellar.

Is there space for creativity and originality in such a well-designed process?

In our case, yes. After a short time we discovered that the market wants cheese to be more special, That is why, gradually, we introduced more special cheese, in terms of flavour and colour.

Which are the most original types of cheese you produce?

We make cheese with walnuts marinated in cognac. It is an original recipe, with extremely pleasant results. Moreover, for fans of the Scoville scale, we created the chilli and chocolate cheese with a content of 85 percent. This particular type has a lot of fans among our clients. But I believe that the most striking of all is our cheeses, in terms of appearance, is black cheese with coal.

How do you promote your products? 

Mostly through direct meetings with our clients. At fairs the customers have the opportunity to taste the products, and I have the chance to explain what is different compared to what you usually find at the market in terms of ripened cheese.

How much did you sell last year?

The value of our sales was EUR 45,000, meaning that we broke even.

Your product is not a traditional Romanian product. Do you believe this is an advantage or a disadvantage?

I believe it is an advantage. The Romanian consumer is curious and open to new things, and is willing to consumer products made in Romania, if they are of good quality. If I meet a producer who makes traditional product who can make a living doing this, I encourage them to continue to do this. It is important to have good quality traditional products, but, if we have good raw materials, we can diversify the production, because variety is good for the clients.