Cheese Brothers, Inc.: A Century Of Craft, A Table Full Of Friends
Daily Health & Beauty
Wisconsin Roots. Plenty To Share.
Cheese Brothers, Inc.: A Century Of Craft, A Table Full Of Friends
Eric Ludy and Gene Graf are not brothers by birth. A shared love of Wisconsin cheese made them brothers in business.
Shop Cheese BrothersPut good cheese on a table and people tend to gather around it. For Cheese Brothers, that small act of sharing is the point: something delicious to pass around, a reason to linger, and a little Wisconsin hospitality wherever the box lands.
Brothers By Cheese
Two Wisconsin Guys, One Shared Instinct
Co-founders Eric Ludy and Gene Graf came to the business through different parts of the same cheesemaking world. Eric grew up in a family whose Wisconsin cheese history stretches back to 1919. Gene learned the trade from Eric’s father, Tom, and went on to build his own cheese-cutting, smoking, and packaging business.
When Eric came home for a visit in 2013, he and Gene reconnected. The idea for Cheese Brothers took shape: an approachable brand that could put good cheese and genuine relationships at the same table.
They launched the company in 2015. The name describes a bond formed through work, friendship, and plenty of cheese, not a shared birth certificate.
Before The Brand
The Family Story Starts In 1919
Fred “Fritz” Ludy and his wife Rosa moved from a village near Bern, Switzerland, to Barron, Wisconsin, in 1919. At 24, Fritz was already a skilled cheesemaker, and he opened one of the area’s early cheese factories.
When his health declined in the 1950s, his youngest son John took over. Over the following decades, John modernized the plant and expanded its hard Italian-style cheese production.
John’s son Tom opened a factory in nearby Turtle Lake in 2001. Eric worked there during high school; Gene came aboard to oversee the packaging line. Those connections would eventually become the foundation for something new.
The Journey
From A Wisconsin Factory To Doorsteps Nationwide
-
1919
Fritz And Rosa Arrive
The Ludy family’s Wisconsin cheesemaking story begins in Barron.
-
1950s
The Next Generation
John takes over the family business, later modernizing its production.
-
2001
A Turtle Lake Connection
Tom opens a new factory where Eric works and Gene oversees packaging.
-
2005
Gene Builds His Business
Barron County Cheese begins cutting, smoking, and packaging cheeses from nearby small producers.
-
2013
An Idea On A Visit Home
Eric and Gene reconnect, and the Cheese Brothers concept is born.
-
2015
The Company Launches
Street-fair success leads to a Mall of America store and a new chapter in sharing Wisconsin cheese.
-
2017
On The Road
Eric’s fair-and-festival circuit reaches roughly 40 cities a year.
-
2020
A Garage, Then A Bigger Home
With in-person events shut down, online orders take center stage. Operations move through Eric’s parents’ garage before a new Barron facility supports the growing business.
-
2024
More Room In Almena
A new facility doubles the company’s e-commerce fulfillment capacity.
Keeping The Human Part
From Street Fairs To A Very Busy Garage
The early years were built face to face. After street fairs came the Mall of America shop, followed by three memorable years in physical retail. Moving toward online sales let previous customers keep receiving their favorites by mail.
Eric still spent long stretches on the festival circuit. In 2020, that world stopped almost overnight, and the company shifted entirely to e-commerce. His parents’ garage became part of the operation, and the local post office felt the surge.
A dedicated team and a new Barron facility helped handle holiday orders for people celebrating at home. The later move to Almena gave that work more room, but the founders’ aim remained the same: keep online shopping from feeling cold and impersonal.
Old Skills, Fresh Ideas
Tradition Is A Starting Point, Not A Limit
Cheese Brothers describes a familiar cheesemaking sequence: milk and cultures, curd formation, flavor ingredients where appropriate, pressing, and time to cure. Different varieties take different paths, with aged cheeses spending months or years developing their character.
The brand emphasizes Wisconsin production and milk sourced from family farms committed to rBST-free practices. It also takes pride in the Wisconsin Cheese badge issued by Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin.
That respect for the craft leaves plenty of room for experimentation. The company works with fellow cheesemakers on distinctive combinations and uses slow hardwood cold-smoking for its smoked cheeses.
Smoked Gouda
Wood-fired smoke brings a rich, creamy character to sandwiches, grilled cheese, and sharing plates.
Honey Sriracha Gouda
Known as Bantam, this Gouda pairs tangy spice with a little sweetness. Try it in mac and cheese or on a burger.
Fratello
Inspired by Asiago and Parmesan, but softer and more meltable, with a place on pizza or in lasagna.
Something New To Pass Around
Familiar Favorites With A Curious Side
The range is not limited to one flavor of Wisconsin. There are aged cheddars, classic Gouda, curds, and smoked varieties alongside bolder combinations such as Mango Habanero.
The brand’s collaborative cheeses take that curiosity further. Rhapsody combines Cheddar and Parmesan influences; Fratello looks to Asiago and Parmesan while keeping a softer, more meltable texture.
For someone putting together a board, that variety makes room for both the dependable favorite and the cheese everyone asks about. Gift assortments offer another route, with the individual listing showing what is included.
Cultures Beyond The Cheese Vat
A Small Team With A Wider Circle
Relationships are part of the founders’ definition of a good business. They describe keeping customer service within their own team, treating colleagues as family, and providing living-wage opportunities.
The same spirit extends into their community through product donations and contributions to nonprofit organizations. Cheese Brothers also says the accompaniments it selects for gift boxes, from jams and mustards to crackers, come from Wisconsin small businesses and local artisans.
Those details give a gift more than a central block of cheese. They put the work of neighboring makers into the same box, with a shared sense of place.
A Place At The Table
The Best Part Is Passing It Around
A Swiss cheesemaker arriving in Wisconsin in 1919 could not have pictured Eric’s festival circuit, an online holiday rush, or a garage full of outgoing cheese. The thread connecting those chapters is easier to recognize: make something good, care about the people around it, and keep going.
For Eric and Gene, Cheese Brothers is a way to carry that work forward without losing its warmth. A sharp cheddar, a smoky Gouda, a gift sent across the country: different reasons to share the same kind of welcome.
Cheeses contain milk. Gift assortments and accompaniments may contain other allergens; review each product’s ingredients. Follow the storage and handling directions supplied with your order.
Cheese Brothers, Inc. At Daily Health & Beauty
Shop Cheese Brothers, Inc.
Explore Wisconsin Cheese, Curds, And Gifts To Share.
Continue Exploring Cheese Brothers, Inc.
Wisconsin Cheese. A Warm Welcome.
Explore The Cheese Brothers, Inc. Collection.Shop The Full Cheese Brothers, Inc. Collection →
