Our history

My story begins in the late 1970s, when my father arrived in Switzerland and discovered what would become his passion: the world of cheese. He trained under a master cheesemaker, Mr. Maillard, and then founded his own cheese shop in 1982, which was then called Figuerola Produits Laitiers.

From a very young age, I grew up immersed in the trade. We had a ripening cellar on Rue Liotard, a place whose aromas, humidity, and dim light are among my earliest memories. The wheels—which seemed gigantic to the child I was—impressed me as much as they drew me in. I was so fascinated that my father had to hide the probe—the tool used to check the ripening stage. Every time I found it, I would take pieces from the wheels… without ever thinking to plug the hole back up properly.

In 1986, my mother joined the company, which then became a fully family-owned business. Later, my sister and I began helping out as well, especially on Saturdays after school. Work, passing on knowledge, and learning shaped our daily lives, driven by a shared passion.

After starting my studies in physical therapy, a realization hit me. While I was training to help others, my father was physically exhausting himself at work and needed support. In 2013, I decided to put my studies on hold to devote myself fully to helping him.

I officially took over the business in 2015. In 2019, I refined the name—Figuerola Chalet du Fromage—as well as the company’s brand identity, in order to bring my vision to life while remaining true to the family legacy that has been passed down for over three decades.

Today, my job is about more than just selling cheese. Every product tells the story of the people who make it, their animals, their land, and their values. I work exclusively with artisanal producers and small farms committed to quality, animal welfare, and respect for tradition.