Planfayon: new infrastructure, new ambitions
On 24 April 2023, after more than a year's work, the Planfayon cheese dairy proudly presented its first wheels of Le Gruyère AOP. Thanks to its new infrastructure, the dairy can now process up to 4 million litres of milk into Le Gruyère AOP every year, and store up to 6,000 wheels of cheese in its cellars.
"We are working in an optimal environment, with plenty of room for manoeuvre in the future.”
Markus Bapst, President of the Büel-Planfayon dairy cooperative
Spacious and modern
With 1,000 m2 devoted to production, a press with 38 moulds and a brand-new robot for turning and rubbing 35-kilo wheels of cheese, the new Planfayon cheese dairy is unveiled in brand-new premises. Behind the scenes, cheesemaker Julien Jungo is hard at work. The cutting of the curds has begun in one of the three copper vats. His movements are precise and rhythmic. That's a good sign, because today it’s necessary to keep up the pace. The official inauguration of the cheese dairy will take place at the same time as the 100th anniversary of the Büel-Planfayon dairy cooperative, which brings together the cheese dairies of Zollhaus, Brünisried, Planfayon and Niederried. The event will be attended by the political authorities and other distinguished guests, such as Markus Bapst, Chairman of the dairy cooperative: "We will be welcoming State Councilor Didier Castella, the Prefect of the Singine Manfred Raemy, the municipal authorities, as well as representatives of the Gruyère Interprofession. Their respective bodies have been very supportive of our efforts to bring our project to fruition."
A lively, professional industry
In 2020, the members of the cooperative accepted the new building project presented by their committee. Well aware of the dilapidated state of the existing infrastructure, they saw it as an opportunity to guarantee a high level of cheese production, attractive milk prices and an optimal production chain. Today, the new size of the cellar means that the cheeses can be kept in the cellar for up to 90 days, rather than having to be transported to St-Ours a month earlier for lack of space.
Obtaining funding, finding a suitable plot of land and agreeing on the layout required lengthy discussions, initiated in 2017 with the relevant bodies. In 2018, the Interprofession du Gruyère gave its approval to the project. In the end, on land sold by the Planfayon parish, the new building was erected by architect Fred Ryser, who had already tried his hand in the region. The groundbreaking ceremony took place in February 2022. The project was financed by the company's own funds, subsidies, loans from the Confederation and the Canton, as well as bank loans for the necessary equipment. Markus Bapst is proud to have kept within the budget of 8.7 million Swiss francs for the project.
The future on a grand scale
Long years of discussion, 14 months of hard work and some unforgettable moments, one of which was losing more than a day's work cutting through a wall to fit the oversized press into the production area. But the positive side soon took over: "I remember the first milk run, with the producers happy to be back in Planfayon and reassured about their future," recalls Julien Jungo. It looks like the momentum is there for the young cheesemaker who, after working with his father for many years, also intends to win a ‘World Cheese Award’ one day.
Markus Bapst is equally satisfied: "We're working in an optimal environment, with plenty of room for manoeuvre in the future," he adds.
The curious will undoubtedly be convinced by the tours scheduled for the inauguration. All that remains is to fine-tune the organisation. The two men are hard at work, eager to share their enthusiasm.
