Lucien Morerod
Lucien Morerod, dairyman and cheese retailer
Why are you a dairyman and cheese-seller ?
It was watching my father make cheese that made me want to do an apprenticeship in cheese-making. I could make cheese all the year, not just in the summer, as we do up here in the Alps. I worked in different fromageries and I learnt about business whilst working in the Valais, which I liked very much. Then I was lucky to be able, with my wife, to take over Raymond Lacroix’s dairy shop, which meant that we could work in Les Diablerets and live here the whole year round.
What do you like about your job ?
The world of cheese is very varied: you find cheese in all parts of the globe. I love to study the history of a cheese, and from where it orginates : its «roots». When I travel in France, it’s always a pleasure to hunt out individual cheeses, produced in small quantities, and I’m interested in everything about them : each region has its cheese and each cheese has its history. In Normandy, I adore discovering new Camemberts or, slightly further south, little goats’ cheeses. Many cheeses were invented by religious orders, starting with our own Tête de Moine (Monk’s Head), which I, too, learnt to make. It’s fascinating to get to know the detailed reasons why this or that cheese came to see the light of day. When I retire I will drive all over France and elsewhere to discover and rediscover different cheeses.
I think we’ll all agree that Lucien’s shop demonstrates his love of the job.
I have the impression that very few second-home owners buy their cheese down in the valley before coming up to Les Diablerets ; and, when they leave to go home, they generally take some cheese from Les Diablerets with them.
024 492 31 87
Translation : Gordon Douglas