Tobias quit job to make cheese in Colombia: ‘I call it my cheese cartel’ | Cooking & Eating

Behind the desks at Heineken, where Tobias worked until 2016, the resident of Gouwen thought wistfully for months on Colombia, where he did an internship in tropical agriculture as part of his studies. “At the time I worked with many farmers, especially sugar cane and coffee farmers, and saw the great potential of the fertile Colombian countryside. Many Europeans complain about the cheese in Colombia; they mainly eat fresh, soft cheeses, which, according to the average European, have little taste.”

The dream of returning to the South American country to bring rich, Dutch cheeses to the market there is always in the back of his mind.

Until Tobias travels back to the country for a wedding, enthusiasm bubbles up like never before and he decides to really go for it this time. He quits his job at the largest beer brewery in the Netherlands to pursue a career in dairy – although he hadn’t eaten anything about it at the time.

His adventure does not start under the South American sun. “I grew up in Gouda, so I first went there to gain knowledge.” In the well-known cheese region, the twenty-something goes in search of a cheesemaker who wants to teach him the tricks of the trade. ,,And so I ended up on a nice farm in Oudewater, owned by the Van Vliet family, who have been in the business since 1874. These cheese makers were immediately enthusiastic about my idea.”

With the necessary skills mastered and Van Vliet’s family recipe in his pocket, Tobias finally leaves for his new home a few months later: Monquentiva, a small village with 120 inhabitants, at an altitude of 3000 meters in the Colombian Andes Mountains, two hours drive from Bogotá.

The goal of the Dutchman is clear: he wants to introduce Colombians to Gouda cheeses, but the social component is just as important to him. “I wanted to create a win-win situation with local farmers.” Through milk corporations, Tobias comes into contact with small dairy farmers who are known in the region for their good milk quality. “I was able to start with them.”

Even when Tobias drives on a dirt road to his new home in the Colombian Andes Mountains, and has an incomprehensible telephone conversation with the village chief, the Dutchman continues to believe in his plan. “I was like, ‘I’m just going to see how this goes. And if it doesn’t work out, I’ll be back in the Netherlands in no time.” Moreover, the entrepreneur can count on a lot of support. ,,The Van Vliet family was very enthusiastic about the idea and DGGF (a fund for entrepreneurs abroad, ed.) helped me realize my dream by partly financing the machines. In addition, the milk corporation supported me with the organizational part, such as training the farmers and many administrative tasks. So yes, I had every confidence in it.”

,,I also think that I just fit very well in this country”, Tobias continues. “I was often late in the Netherlands. I hated the systematic thing: that I had to make an appointment with friends three weeks in advance. People live here from day to day, that suits me well. In addition, the Colombians are a cheerful and festive people. Yes, I am happy here.”

Five years later, Tobias has been able to give jobs to eight women from the village, he has started a second cheese factory near Medellín and he has set up his own Swiss-style raclette restaurant with four friends. Of course his own cheese shines on the menu.

“And soon there will be a second restaurant in the capital Bogota”, says the entrepreneur proudly. Laughing: ,,I call it my cheese cartel. It is very satisfying to create employment in an area where it is so valued, where they still bring some of the milk by horse and cart and twenty years ago didn’t even have electricity.”

LinkedIn shows that he has a special story to tell. In honor of the five-year anniversary of his cheese factory HolaAndes, he is sharing his story on the platform. He can count on thousands of likes and hundreds of comments. “I am overwhelmed by all the nice messages. I never expected my story to be like this viral would go. In the meantime I get a lot of reactions from compatriots who want to start a similar cheese business in Central or South America, or who want to visit my project. Well, I love to taste my cheeses and show my life project in Colombia.”

This article was produced in collaboration with The Best Social Media†