Where milk becomes cheese, and time makes all the difference

May 27, 2026 – The shelves at Kronen Käserei AG in Schaan hold around 120 tons of cheese. It is a sight that is as overwhelming as it is beautiful: wheel upon wheel, resting on local spruce wood, each one a product of time, care, and a love for the craft. “Depending on the variety, the aging period ranges from two to 14 months,” explains Fabian Wohlwend as he walks through the rows, as if greeting old friends. Every movement reveals his connection to the product. It is not just work; it is passion, responsibility, and respect for what is created here from milk. Down here, it becomes clear what makes Kronen Käserei special: natural enjoyment from high-quality milk, combined with centuries-old cheese-making artistry. Every wheel tells its own story, from the pastures of Liechtenstein to the milk suppliers who bring their fresh milk daily, all the way to the care in the cellar, where patience is the most important ingredient.

Between numbers, responsibility—and lots of cheese

We’re having this conversation one floor up. An office, a computer screen, everyday life. And yet, even here, everything revolves around the same thing: cheese. Fabian Wohlwend is in charge of purchasing, sales, marketing, quality management, and production planning. A job title that sounds like a lot of desk work. It is. But not only that. Because anyone who talks to him quickly realizes: This isn’t just an administrative job. This is someone who knows exactly what’s happening down in the cellar—and why.

From the lecture hall to the cheese cellar

His journey began in a traditional way—high school in Liechtenstein, a high school diploma with a focus on the natural sciences, followed by five years of study in food science at ETH Zurich. And it ultimately led him to Schaan, to a cheese dairy where craftsmanship and technology don’t work at cross-purposes, but get along quite well.

2022: A turning point—the dairy farm is taken over by Kronen Käserei. Today, Fabian Wohlwend manages the facility in Schaan together with operations manager Beat Ruckstuhl.

At Kronen Käserei, quality doesn’t start in the cellar—it starts at the source: the milk. About 40 Liechtenstein farming families deliver fresh milk every day—and none of them travel more than ten kilometers. Short distances, clear provenance, personal relationships. Here, the suppliers are still known by name. Around six million liters of milk are turned into cheese each year—a lot of cheese. Or to be more specific: about ten liters of milk make one kilo of cheese.

Craftsmanship Meets High Tech

Fabian Wohlwend: “The guiding principle sounds simple: tradition meets innovation. And that’s exactly what happens here. The milk is gently processed, transformed into curd in the cheese vat with rennet and cultures, pressed, separated from the whey, and finally placed in a brine bath. What sounds technical is a finely tuned process. Temperature, humidity, aging time—everything has to be just right. Then the perhaps most important part begins: aging. The wheels are stored on local spruce wood for weeks or months, tended to, monitored, and regularly inspected. Only when the flavor, texture, and character are just right is a cheese allowed to leave the cellar. The youngest is about 60 days old. The oldest? Aged for up to 16 months, correspondingly robust and spicy. The older the cheese, the more character it has.”

Delicacies from Liechtenstein – A regional product with an international presence

Since 2022, Kronen Käserei has been a partner of the Liechtenstein brand and bears the “Genuss aus Liechtenstein” label. For Fabian Wohlwend, this is more than just a seal of approval: it stands for regional value creation, short transport routes, and authentic origin. Production takes place exclusively in Schaan—and the products are sold in Coop stores as well as regional shops, among other places. At the same time, a large portion is exported, primarily to Switzerland and the EU. It’s a balancing act between the local market and the international market—and it works well.

Here, sustainability isn't just a buzzword—it's part of our daily routine:

District heating from the Buchs waste-to-energy plant, an in-house photovoltaic system on the roof, and a commitment to making processes paperless step by step—sustainability is part of everyday life here, not just a buzzword. But technology alone doesn’t make good cheese. What matters most is the team: people who stick together, can rely on one another, share their knowledge, and support each other. At Kronen Käserei AG, dairy technologists work who understand their craft and pass it on. Training is a top priority here: Currently, one apprentice is learning the trade from the ground up, and another will join in August. Because if you want to ensure quality in the long term, you have to pass on knowledge, experience, and a passion for the craft—and that is exactly what this team embodies, day after day.

And to finish off: a delicious raclette or cheese dumplings

Naturally, the question arises: What does Fabian Wohlwend do with such good cheese? He laughs. The answer is clear: a delicious raclette or Käseknöpfli. The Knöpfli—no secret recipe, just good ingredients. “A blend of nutty and tangy cheese, with a touch of sour cheese and free-range eggs—a dish that’s as simple as it is perfect.”

As you leave the Kronen Cheese Factory, your thoughts linger on the cellar—on the 120 tons of cheese resting quietly and neatly on the shelves, on the cool air carrying the scent of patience, craftsmanship, and love. Here, you can truly sense what makes the Kronen Cheese Dairy special: not just technology, not just numbers, not just the craft—but the tranquility, the time, and the care that accompany every single product. A wheel of cheese leaves the cellar only when it is ready to reveal its full character. Only then does it become what it is meant to be: a true “delicacy from Liechtenstein.”