Albert and Ineke Alferink own and run Mercer Cheese in the Waikato.
Albert initially migrated to NZ to work as a forest ranger. He is a legend in the NZ artisan cheese industry and has been making cheeses at their Onewhero factory south of Tuakau since 1981. Ineke migrated from the Netherlands in 1990 and runs the shop.
Albert started with two cows that he’d milk once a day, and then make cheese that he’d deliver by van locally. In 1993 he converted a shed to a cheese factory, and fast forward to today and they now make 15 to 20 different varieties of Dutch style cheeses which they sell at their shop in Roose Road, Mercer (hence the name). They are known for their superb Gouda, which is exported to Australia as “Waikato cheese”. Albert will tell you how NZ Gouda differs from Dutch Gouda due to the superb quality of the milk produced in the Waikato.
It is an honour for us at The Cheese Wheel to feature Mercer stunning cheeses in our cheese boxes.
DISCOVER NZ ARTISAN CHEESE EACH MONTH
Either as a MONTHLY CHEESE BOX SUBSCRIPTION (make the most of our $10 OFF welcome offer, code WELCOME2TCW) or AS A ONE-OFF BOX, you’re just one click away from receiving delicious NZ artisan cheese straight to your door.
