Jasper Spierings (44) runs a multifaceted family business with his wife Afke Baukje Boer Spierings in Oss. In addition to their dairy farm with 90 dairy cows and a partnership with the Society for the Preservation of Nature Monuments in the Netherlands (Natuurmonumenten) for grazing, they run a day nursery, butcher’s shop and farm shop. There, they sell homegrown milk, cheese, meat and bread, among other things. They have a team of 50 employees to keep everything running. The cheese factory is their pride and joy, where they have been working with Riet Dairy for almost 20 years. “If you want to make good and delicious cheese, Riet Dairy is the place to go.” Jasper explains why.

Agricultural Entrepreneur of the Year

Jasper and Afke were recently voted Agricultural Entrepreneur of the Year 2024 (Agrarisch Ondernemer van het Jaar 2024). “It is a huge honour and has given our team a considerable motivation boost,” Jasper says with pride. The jury praised their unique approach to putting people, animals and nature centre stage and connecting them.

Good cheese time after time

Jasper started making cheese almost 20 years ago and from the beginning he chose Riet Dairy’s equipment. “If you make cheese, you have to be able to count on consistent quality, and Riet Dairy offers that,” he says. For Jasper, it is crucial that each cheese tastes the same and meets high quality standards. “Not just once, but delivering the same quality time after time, that’s the art of cheesemaking.”

Pasteurising at night

Among other things, Riet Dairy supplied a semi-automated cheese vat that allowed Jasper to pasteurise his milk immediately. “Because we supply directly to consumers, we don’t want to take any risks,” Jasper explains. “This ensures the food safety and consistent quality of our cheeses.” The system has since been updated to automatically pasteurise milk at night. “It’s ideal: the milk is ready in the morning and we can get started right away.”

Efficiency through innovation

As the company grew, Jasper had to find ways to scale up production without compromising on time or quality. Riet Dairy’s flow pasteuriser offered the perfect solution. “This allowed us to produce more cheese in the same amount of time,” he says. “Very efficient!”

A dream cheese factory

According to Jasper, their recently refurbished cheese factory is Riet Dairy’s masterpiece, fully tailored to their needs. “My wife and I designed our dream cheese factory and Riet Dairy made it possible.” From the first phone call to completion, the team at Riet Dairy worked with them to perfect every detail. “From pipeline diagrams to software for the machines, everything was worked out and implemented as we envisaged.”

Reliable partner

Working together with Riet Dairy always runs smoothly. “When we were just starting out, our contact Kees Veenswijk often came by with practical tips on cheesemaking. He knew exactly what we needed,” Jasper says. Although they now need less advice, Boer Spierings continues to build on Riet Dairy’s support and service. “They are a sparring partner and always provide input. Minor malfunctions are resolved immediately by phone, although these are rare. Thanks to their reliable equipment, we can deliver the best cheese to our customers time and time again.”