Situated on 4,300 f.a.s.l and near the picturesque town of Stans Alp Bleiki is one of the original Alps in the program that started in 2013. The relatively low altitude allows the owners, Paul and Agnes Barmettler, to start transhumance sometime in the second half of May. One of their three children, son Reto, will join them full time and be responsible for the herds. Paul Barmettler, known for his excellent Sbrinz AOP, has also new support in the dairy: Eric Staub, who is just finishing his education as a master cheesemaker, and his girlfriend Christa Staub will assist him. Besides the Sbrinz, they also make Alpkäse, Bratchäs - the Raclette version in central Switzerland - as well as "Buochserhorn", a Gruyère style cheese.

The Barmettlers extended their aging cellars a year ago and are now able to mature around 1,200 wheels. Paul only has 26 cows of his own, however on Bleiki they take care of a total of 170 red and brown cows from eight different farmers.

In case you are interested in Paul Barmettler’s fabulous Alp Sbrinz, please be aware that you will receive cheeses that were made one or two summers before the one you get regular updates on. These are big format cheeses that are not ready to be enjoyed after only a few months of maturation. The minimum aging for a Sbrinz is 22 months!