Luisier’s fame on social media led to an invitation to speak on public radio. RTS
Claude Luisier, a cheesemaker from the Swiss canton of Valais, has become a social network star in recent months. Millions follow him on YouTube, Instagram and even TikTok. This celebrity status continues to amaze him, but he intends to use it to his advantage to defend the preservation of Swiss cheese heritage.
This content was published on August 17, 2023 – 11:00
Benjamin Luis / Tristan Hertig, RTS
At 68, Claude Luisier has become a social networking sensation. It was his son who first got his foot in the door with a goal that was intended to be promotional.
“Initially, it was a commercial move to sell our cheeses better, a means of communication,” the man from Leytron in canton Valais told Swiss public radio, RTS.
But in the face of success, the objective has changed somewhat for the artisan cheesemaker. In fact, he’s going to hand over his cheese cellars to his son so that he can devote more time to his new role as an “influencer”.
“Little by little, it has become more and more about communication to safeguard this heritage […] because maturing cheese is a tradition that is being lost,” he explains.
Holding industrial cheese to account
For the cheesemaker, the battle is above all against industrial cheese, “which is gaining the upper hand just about everywhere”. Luisier admits that it is necessary, but criticises the lack of effort put into taste and texture.
In a number of his videos, he creates matches between industrial cheeses and mature cheeses.
“The case is already closed. The industrial product has no substance, it’s not alive… But you have to be careful with industry, because you have to feed people. But I don’t think they make too much effort in terms of quality. Sometimes you have to force yourself to eat,” says the cheesemaker.
“If you need dairy products, drink milk rather than eat…
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