Bay Area family-run cheese factory shuts down after 45 years
SANTA ROSA, Calif. - A family-run cheese company in Santa Rosa closed after 45 years in business.
Gone for good
What we know:
Joe Matos Cheese Co. stopped manufacturing its Portuguese-style Saint Jorge cheese in November, according to Sonoma Magazine. The cheesemaker losed for good on Jan. 31 after selling its remaining inventory.
Owner Sylvia Tucker, who took over the business from her parents, Joe and Mary Matos, cited several reasons for the shutdown, including her father's declining health, high insurance rates, and political and economic strains on small family farms, she told the publication.
The backstory:
Joe and Mary Matos opened the cheese factory in 1979 after immigrating to the U.S. from Portugal, bringing their family recipe to the Bay Area.
The company's Saint Jorge cheese came in four different ages, from 3 to 16 months.
The Source: Information for this story comes from the website of Joe Matos Cheese Co. and a report from Sonoma Magazine.