A journey through time through our cheese production
The Güntensperger Story
2022
Commissioning of a new cheese storage
Commissioning of the new cheese storage in Kirchberg, St. Gallen. The new cheese warehouse has space for 120,000 loaves of cheese or cheese products from Güntensperger Käse AG.
2021
Bütschwil Käse AG is renamed Güntensperger Käse AG
Bütschwil Käse AG is renamed Güntensperger Käse AG 22 years after the purchase. The family business thus has a little more identity and reference to its origin and history.
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This year, the former cheese maturing warehouse of the Appenzell cheese trading company Sutter-Fuster is also taken over in Appenzell. At this new location, with a specific climate, you have the opportunity to further refine up to 15,000 types of cheese that have already matured into rustic specialties. The Räss-Chäs specialty is also cultivated at this location.
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Also this year, the Red Devil was awarded Super Gold at the World Cheese Awards in Oviedo (ESP), the greatest success of Güntensperger Käse AG in an international competition.
2016
New larger cheese warehouse
The expansion takes place, a new additional location in Lütisburg-Station is added. At the new location, there are 5 large cheese warehouses with packaging rooms, plus storage, office and the cheese store of Bütschwil Käse AG. The product range is continuously expanded.
2017
Branch office in Konstanz, Germany
In Germany, the branch office is founded in Konstanz. With the new branch we are expanding our network to the north. Markets can now be served more directly and in an immediate exchange.
2012
Family business strengthens itself from its own ranks
With Marcel Güntensperger, who was active in wrestling for a long time, Reto Güntensperger's younger brother also joins the family business and takes on the important role of storage technology and logistics. As a trained machine technician, Marcel Güntensperger ensures that the future of our own cheese ripening warehouse runs to perfection with the latest technology.
2013
From tansen to truck
The former milk collection with milk cans will be replaced by farm collection in 2013, which will be ensured by own trucks.
2012
Founding of Güntensperger Käse
Foundation of Güntensperger Käse with the companies Bütschwil Käse AG and Müselbach Käse AG. First professional sales attempts with new products ("Roter Teufel" and "Firstkönig") are launched by Reto Güntensperger and his team.
2009
Master Exam
Reto Güntensperger successfully completes the master's examination and returns to his parents' business.
2005
First specialty and own brands
First own specialties and own brands are developed and produced in small quantities.
2000
25th anniversary of production in Bodmen
Master cheesemaker Heinz Güntensperger poses with his milk suppliers in front of the Bodmen cheese dairy on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of production in Bodmen.
1999
Heinz Güntensperger buys the Bütschwil cheese dairy
Heinz Güntensperger buys and takes over the cheese factory in Bütschwil knowing that Reto Güntensperger would continue the family business Güntensperger Käse AG. The Bütschwiler Käserei becomes part of something bigger and is integrated into the Güntensperger family.
1994
Award for the best Appenzell cheese producers
Heinz and Peter Güntensperger are both awarded among the ten best Appenzell cheese producers.
Left to right:
Reto Güntensperger
his cousin Aemisegger Michi
Taster pen Wenk Michi
Heinz Guntensperger
(at the Bodmen cheese dairy)
Heinz Güntensperger (back)
with his 10 year old son
Reto Güntensperger (front).
1992
125th anniversary of the Mettlen cheese dairy
A newspaper article reports on the anniversary of the Mettlen cheese dairy and the Güntensperger family.
In the photo above left:
The milk suppliers of the Mettlen cheese dairy with their wives.
Master cheesemaker Peter Güntensperger in the Mettlen cheese cellar
1979
Handing over the cheese dairy to the next generation
August Güntensperger hands over the Mettlen cheese dairy to his son Peter Güntensperger.
1975
Purchase of the Bodmen cheese dairy
At the age of 25, Heinz Güntensperger buys the Bodmen cheese dairy from Josef Eberle.
1974
Renovation of the Bodmen cheese dairy
Former master cheese maker Josef Eberle with his wife Anna in the Bodmen cheese dairy (today goat cheese production and experimental and training cheese dairy). The volume of the cheese kettle was 1000 liters of milk. The cheese factory was renovated shortly afterwards.
1968
Snapshot from history
Left to right:Paul, Peter, Heinz, Markus, August Güntensperger and Stefan.
1965
August Guntensperger
August Güntensperger in front of the Mettlen dairy, Müselbach with his Studebaker.
Master cheesemaker August Güntensperger in the Mettlen dairy, Müselbach.
1964
Pictures of the cheese dairies of yesteryear
Heinz Güntensperger in the cheese cellar of the Mettlen dairy, Müselbach
Loading the cheese, Käserei Mettlen, Müselbach
1963
Pictures from the past
Left to right:
Heinz Güntensperger and the twins Paul and Peter Güntensperger. Heinz and Peter later learned the trade to become master cheesemakers.
1960
The first family cheese dairy
On September 12, 1960, August Güntensperger bought the Mettlen cheese dairy.
1939
Training August Güntensperger as a cheese maker
August Güntersperger (2nd from right) with colleagues from the Rütti-Zollikofen Dairy School in Bern
1873
Dairy Mettlen, the original cheese dairy
First protocol in which the Mettlen dairy is mentioned
1868
The beginning
First mention as Dairy Mettlen (late first cheese dairy of the Güntensperger family) in a cash book.