Sartori Cheese cheesemaker Aaron Quick earned the title of Master Cheesemaker in Parmesan and Asiago.
Quick has spent an astounding 34 years perfecting his craft at Sartori’s Antigo Creamery. He is a graduate of the company’s renowned Master Cheesemaker apprenticeship program, achieving the prestigious certification after honing his skills at Sartori for decades.
“Cheesemaking is truly an art, and I’m honored to earn this recognition for mastering a craft I’m so passionate about,” said Quick. “I find joy and excitement in what I do every day, and I look forward to continuing to push the boundaries of flavor so we can make the best cheese in the world.”
“Aaron represents the passion and dedication for cheesemaking that we cherish at Sartori, and we’re proud to celebrate him as he receives this well-deserved honor,” said Sartori CEO Bert Sartori. “We are fortunate to have him at Sartori not only to make the cheese our customers love, but to share his knowledge with the rest of our outstanding team.”
Each Master Cheesemaker candidate must complete more than 80,000 hours of cheesemaking and boast over 10 years of experience before being accepted into the program. They must also possess five years of experience with the specific variety of cheese for which they wish to receive the certification. Once accepted, candidates are required to complete three years of rigorous training and coursework.
Aaron received the Master Cheesemaker honor at the World Champion Awards Banquet at Cheesecon in Milwaukee in April. In the state of Wisconsin, there are more than 1,200 licensed cheesemakers but fewer than 100 hold the prestigious title of Master Cheesemaker. Sartori expects to have two more cheesemakers earn Master Cheesemaker certification by 2026.