OUr Story
Founder of River Whey Creamery, Susan Rigg, had a passion for cooking that grew while working in the book retail business for 15 years. In 2007, she hung up her book selling shoes and took a leap of faith into the professional world of culinary arts by enrolling in the Culinary Institute of America in San Antonio, TX then graduating from CIA - Hyde Park, NY. She survived (phew!) and returned to San Antonio - apron pressed, knives sharpened.
River Whey Creamery is a dream come true, and as with most dreams, it started with a small acorn of possibility and a passion for something. In this case, world class cheese! We believe in great Texas dirt which makes great Texas grass and great Texas milk. It’s our job to turn that into great Texas cheese. We are not just farm to table, but Earth to Soul with a true belief in sustainability and transparency.
The journey
Watch this video by clicking the button below of Susan talking about her journey to become a cheesemaker. This interview was done by the San Antonio Express-News in February of 2018.
To learn the nuances of cheese, Susan completed the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo ‘Artisanal Cheese Maker's Short Course’ in 2013 gaining valuable information about the art and science of cheese making from experts in the field. She then spent the better part of a year doing product development on her current cheeses as well as designing and building the new creamery in Schertz. Hard work and good fortune paid off in 2016 when River Whey Creamery won first place in the Fresh - Flavored Cheeses category for our winter seasonal cheese, St. Clements®, made with organic oranges and lemons and Texas honey.
In 2017, Susan completed the Fundamentals of Artisan Cheese at Sterling College in conjunction with The Cellars at Jasper Hill in Vermont. In May of 2018, Susan traveled to the United Kingdom to spend time making cheese with Quicke's Cheddar and Trethowan's Dairy, makers of Gorwydd Caerphilly.
Watch this video of our founder, Susan Rigg talking about the origin of River Whey Creamery with UNESCO.
River Whey cheeses have been in production since October 2014 and are available at H-E-B Central Markets and Whole Foods Markets all across Texas, Antonelli’s Cheese Shop in Austin, TX and many other local restaurants, hotels, wineries, and shops. For more information about wholesale to chefs, hotels, and restaurants, visit our contact page and send us a message.
Susan’s passion for producing cheeses that are truly unique has resulted in five fine aged cheeses: Keystone®, Caldera España®, The Welshman®, Indigo Ridge®, and Whey Blue®.
MEET OUR TEAM
Robin is our Senior Production Manager. She has a Bachelors Degree from the Culinary Institute of America. She is our steady cheesemaking leader and our in-house queen of fermentation!
Jaicen is our multi-talented Pack & Ship Department Manager. He supervises harvesting of cheeses, packaging, and outgoing shipments. #belikejaicen
Tom is our Brand Ambassador who handles our wholesale accounts. He is a graduate of the CIA Culinary Program, an Army veteran, a heart transplant recipient, and a true renaissance man! He is also a Certified Wine Specialist. This man knows his Texas wines!
Bel splits her time between cheesemaking and packaging at River Whey, while also mongering at Otto's Cheese Shop in New Braunfels. She is always deep diving into learning the science of the cheeses and is a soon to be Certified Cheese Professional.
Ashton is our Assistant Production Manager and hails from Arizona where she has spent time working on farms and making cheese! She also helps out at Pack and Ship.
Jenn waiting for the market to start!
Brian wrapping a whole wheel of Indigo Ridge to go out for a delivery!
Each wheel of cheese gets weighed multiple times before going into the press!
Some orders take almost the whole team to fill! We are so grateful to have our cheeses in both Whole Foods Markets and H-E-B Central Markets all across Texas!
Kathleen (right) is the yin to our yang. She is a co-founder of River Whey and we would be lost without her. She has moved into retirement, but her spirit is alive and well in the creamery!
Tom and Brian are out to sling some cheese. It's so important for us to stay connected with our customers, new and old!
Jaicen and Robin in the creamery.
Sometimes we just gotta have fun! Every year our staff gets together for a Holiday Party to celebrate the year behind and the year to come. This was taken at Stave in New Braunfels, TX- check them out, they carry our cheese!
#belikejaicen #cavemanagement #affinage
Susan . . . talking as usual!
Signing off from the Pearl . . . this was our last day at The Pearl Farmers Market . . . December 18, 2021. Eight years of good memories!
Ashton and Bel waiting for the milk to reach the right temperature for the next step!
Where to Purchase Our Cheese: San Antonio Metro
Curbside Pick Up at our Creamery: Yes, you can pick up directly from us! CLICK HERE
Whole Foods Markets: Our cheeses are now being carried at Whole Foods markets in Austin and San Antonio. Each store will carry a slightly different selection, and availability at Houston and Dallas stores is coming soon! Stay tuned to our social media for updates.
Central Markets: Our cheeses are now available at Central Markets all across Texas! Ask the cheesemongers at your local Central Market to find the selection of River Whey cheeses that they have available at your store.
Farm Connection: Join the farm club (similar to a co-op) for only $20 a year and get access to many local and organic foods including meat, dairy, and produce. Conveniently located at 1604 and Redlands Road in San Antonio and now with a second location in Boerne. Be sure to pick up a wedge or two of our cheeses!
Farmhouse Delivery: Would you like to have our cheeses delivered to your door along with a bounty of farm fresh produce and meat?
Where to Purchase Our Cheese: Austin & Hill Country
Antonelli's Cheese Shop - Austin: We are so pleased to have our cheeses available in the Austin market. If you ever make a trip up to our capital city, stop in and sample some amazing cheeses and pick up a wedge of ours! Antonelli’s has two locations: the flagship shop in Hyde Park and now their second location at Fareground on Congress Avenue.
Whole Foods Markets: Our cheeses are now being carried at Whole Foods markets in Austin and San Antonio. Each store will carry a slightly different selection, and availability at Houston and Dallas stores is coming soon! Stay tuned to our social media for updates.
Central Markets: Our cheeses are now available at Central Markets all across Texas! Ask the cheese mongers at your local Central Market to find the selection of River Whey cheeses that they have available at your store.
Otto’s Cheese Shop: If you find yourself in New Braunfels, check out this locally owned cheese shop with knowledgeable staff about a variety of types of cheeses, wines, and all your pairing needs. They do wonderful cheese boards that you can take you to your next party or for a picnic at the park!
Our Production Partners
Four E Dairy: This is where we get our beautiful Raw Milk! We drive down to see Gene and Elyse every Monday and purchase our milk for the week. They have a gorgeous herd of Jersey cows and an amazing farm operation. If you are interested in purchasing Raw Milk for yourself, please see them. They have a farm stand on the property that is open to the public.
Zanzenberg Farm: Zanzenberg Farm is a family owned-operated, pasture-based, local-market farm with education outreach. They are located in Kerr County right along the Guadalupe River in Center Point, Texas. They produce non-gmo, corn & soy free pastured pork and poultry while utilizing a holistic approach to pasture management, grazing and planning. River Whey has plenty of leftover whey from the cheesemaking, so Zanzenberg Farm comes by to pick it up and then supports their herd on our whey. You can purchase their pork at the Kerrville Farmers Market. We are so fortunate to have such great partnerships within our local food community.
Holdman Honey: We are proud to use Holdman Honey in our Award Winning St. Clements. David and Susan Holdman run a family bee operation and are fellow vendors at the Historic Pearl Farmers Market with us. They are located in nearby Seguin, Texas.
RIVER WHEY GALLERY
