The Master Cheese Maker behind our award winning specialty Cheeses - Paul Sutter

Paul Sutter was born in 1972 in Sonnental Switzerland, a small town outside of St. Gallen. He grew up with a family of four brothers and two sisters. In his younger years while growing up, he spent most of his holidays on a small dairy farm belonging to his grandfather. This is where he began, first by milking the herd of cows and then delivering the fresh milk to local cheese factories. "As a child I had always been interested in how milk could turn into cheese" quoted Sutter and it all started from there …..

During his last years of high school he was able to do work experience in local cheese factories to see if cheese making was a trade he wished to pursue. In 1988 after graduation Paul entered an apprenticeship/training program that was offered in Switzerland. While attending the program he would work 4 days a week apprenticing as a cheese maker and the rest of the time would be spent attending classes where he learned the art and science of cheese making. In 1991 he successfully graduated as a Master Cheese Maker. He started his career working for different companies throughout Switzerland where he gained additional training and experience.

In 1995 a local Swiss Dairy Newspaper, had a job posting advertised, the advertiser was looking for a cheese maker to come and work in Canada. Paul applied and got the position and he moved to British Columbia the same year. While working for this newly established company, Paul used his knowledge and created a range of new products out of sheep milk. He loved the work and quickly saw that there was big potential within the artisan cheese industry in Canada. After living in Canada for a year, the young Cheese Master decided to open up his own company working as a consultant and he was soon consulting for different small cheese companies throughout British Columbia. By doing this, his experience grew and he developed and created a number of new products out of sheep, goat, and cow milk for his clients.

In 1998 Paul married Elaine, a Canadian and 2 years later they had a son. In 2002 Paul heard of a new cheese factory, that had opened up on Vancouver Island the factory was "Natural Pastures Cheese Company". About the same time, the management team at Natural Pastures Cheese Company contacted him. Both parties recognized the potential and it was not long before Paul and his family made the move to Courtenay, BC the city that they now call home.

After being with Natural Pastures Cheese Company a matter of months, Paul decided to enter some of his Natural Pastures cheeses into the Canadian Grand Prix, a cheese competition that is organized every 2 years by the Dairy Farmers of Canada. He was competing against many established companies from all over Canada. Taken by surprise, he took home 5 medals for Natural Pastures - 3 Gold and 2 Silvers.

Two years later, Paul enters the same competition and within days of taking 4th place at the 2004 World Championship Cheese Contest in Wisconsin, USA for his Natural Pastures, Comox Camembert Paul is called to Montreal with the news that he is bringing home a Gold Medal and 2 Silvers from the 2004 Canadian Cheese Grand Prix.


Dedicated to quality control, he completed the HACCP (hazard analysis critical control point) program in Vancouver, and strongly enforces this in every cheese factory that he works in.

CHEESE is Paul's life. A dream this has always been his. He is constantly looking for new challenges and always takes pride in his trade. He is an artisan and loves talking to people about the art and history of cheese making. If you have any questions, you can contact Paul at paul@naturalpastures.com