Less is more when it comes to cheesemaking

Amid a prevailing pastoral beauty and a patterned pace of life, visitors are charmed to discover the advantages of taking their time in Ohio’s Amish Country.

At Old Route 39 and Broad Dairy Road, visitors often make a day of Broad Run Corner, where the popular Broad Run Cheesehouse, the promising Swiss Heritage Winery and the founder’s namesake tavern, Hans’ Place, intersect. Visitors take their time soaking up the local flavor. By reputation, Broad Run Corner does not cut corners, except by request at the deli counter.

Cheese takes time to age, but by way of “the can route,” Broad Run Cheesehouse takes its time from the start. Instead of relying on weekly deliveries of refrigerated bulk milk tanks, Broad Run Corner collects fresh milk from local Amish farms stored in 10-gallon cans and cooled in spring water each morning.

On average, 1 gallon of milk goes into making 1 pound of cheese. There’s an incentive to buy in bulk, and besides, family dairies have largely been bought out.

In explaining why Broad Run Cheesehouse keeps to the old way, following in the tradition of the Swiss who settled the region, Chad Schindler, president of Broad Run Corner, emphasized quality over quantity and the unique characteristics of the area to resist the pressures of industrial milk.

“It’s the taste,” Schindler said. “The abundant Amish dairy farms raise their cattle naturally: grass fed, no antibiotics. You don’t need a label. You can taste it, especially in the summer when the farmers first put their cattle out to pasture.”

In 2018 Broad Run Cheesehouse took home the People’s Choice Award at the Ohio Swiss Cheese Festival. “That’s who we listen to,” Schindler said.

That same year, work on a 10,000-square-foot winery was completed. As the reputation for Ohio wines grows, the Swiss Heritage Winery continues to earn accolades. The Doggone Good wine took home two platinum awards from the 2018 Monterey International Wine Competition, beating out many California wineries. Victorian Lace, American Cranberry wine and American Red Raspberry wine also have earned national recognition, winning gold medals in competitions across the country.

According to Schindler, the connoisseurs have come calling, citing an increase in wine sales of 25 percent last year.

And at Hans’ Place, connoisseurs of a different sort are clamoring for cheese sticks. “It’s not your typical mozzarella stick,” Schindler said. “They’re bigger. We use different cheeses such as Swiss, cheddar and hot pepper. We also have a Reuben that people rave about.”

While the cheese sticks aren’t traditional, traditions are born over time. Schindler’s son, Carson, recently became an assistant cheesemaker. On the cusp of his career, he can look down six generations of cheesemakers, down “the can route,” and in time contribute to and pass down the traditions at Broad Run Corner.

Make a day of Broad Run Corner, 6011 Old Route 39 NW, Dover. Call 330-343-4108. Hours for the cheesehouse, deli and boutique gift shop are Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Hans’ Place hours are Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sample BroadRunCheese.com.