The Family
West River Creamery is proud to be a family run business. Jane and Charlie Parant are the owners of the Creamery which hires 4 other family members as employees.
Charlie is the business owner, or "big cheese", and oversees all aspects of business and has final say in all major decisions. He first started making cheese in 1980 on a small farm. The cheese was a Goat Cheese, similar to his now popular Full Circle Goat Tomme. After making goat cheese for some time, life kicked in. Charlie had his son, Mat followed by his daughtor, Allison and went back to school. He ended up graduating from Johnson State University with a Secondary Science and Biology degree. After teaching for a short period of time, eventually he found his way back to his love of making cheese. In 1999 Charlie picked up making cheese again to support his family, this job eventually turned into the carreer he now has that is helping to support three families. His extensive knowledge of cheesemaking and years of experience help to him hand picked every cheese that West River Creamery makes. Generally Charlie chooses to use traditional recipies that he modifies to fit his criteria of a well made, quality cheese.
His wife Jane, is not only mother to the family but is also mother to the business. On top of being one of the nicest people you could ever meet, she is one of the hardest working people anyone can even imagine. Jane takes on the responcibilites of Markets, Specialty Shows and Specialty Products. She is involved in several farmers markets around Vermont and the surrounding states. Not only does she attend these shows but she is on the board at alot of them too.
Allison Marino,daughter to Jane and Charlie handles the marketing and promotion jobs of the creamery. Allison started getting invloved in Ag. when she was only 8 years old. This is when she first started joining clubs like 4-H and FFA. She then started working in the food industry when she was sixteen years old. In the summer of 04 Allison toured Europe on a food a culture study then graduated from NECI in 2006. Allison got married to her now husband, Jason Marino on the farms property this past summer.
Mathew Parant, son to Jane and Charlie, is the main cheese maker, also incharge of aging the cheese and doing all the handywork (which includes calling a licensed prefessional when neccesary). Mathew has been involved interested in farming and agriculture as far as he can remembered. He studied Agriculutural science at SUNY Cobleskill from 2006 - 2008 and has worked for 3 separate creameries, milked cows on more than one farm, and was a Veternary Techinician at two different Vets offices in Vermont. Besides being the Cheese Maker here at West River Creamery he is alsoa full time father to a beautiful 2 year old named Mason.
Mariah Johnson is The Creamerys Newest Employee. After helping out on the farm since 2008 Mariah relocated with Mathew and theyre son Mason to make cheese for West River Creamery full time about two years ago. She now is the Goat Cheese - Cheese Maker and assists Mat with making the batches of Cow milk. Shes also incharge of Web Management and New Accounts.
Lastly, 19 month old Mason Parant-Johnson, son to Mathew and Mariah, is one of the most important members of the West River Creamery team. Not only is Mason WRC's mascott, but he is also in charge of boosting moral and eating little bits of cheese. Everyone has their individual tasks but we are all involved in all aspects of making this creamery a successful business.
Charlie is the business owner, or "big cheese", and oversees all aspects of business and has final say in all major decisions. He first started making cheese in 1980 on a small farm. The cheese was a Goat Cheese, similar to his now popular Full Circle Goat Tomme. After making goat cheese for some time, life kicked in. Charlie had his son, Mat followed by his daughtor, Allison and went back to school. He ended up graduating from Johnson State University with a Secondary Science and Biology degree. After teaching for a short period of time, eventually he found his way back to his love of making cheese. In 1999 Charlie picked up making cheese again to support his family, this job eventually turned into the carreer he now has that is helping to support three families. His extensive knowledge of cheesemaking and years of experience help to him hand picked every cheese that West River Creamery makes. Generally Charlie chooses to use traditional recipies that he modifies to fit his criteria of a well made, quality cheese.
His wife Jane, is not only mother to the family but is also mother to the business. On top of being one of the nicest people you could ever meet, she is one of the hardest working people anyone can even imagine. Jane takes on the responcibilites of Markets, Specialty Shows and Specialty Products. She is involved in several farmers markets around Vermont and the surrounding states. Not only does she attend these shows but she is on the board at alot of them too.
Allison Marino,daughter to Jane and Charlie handles the marketing and promotion jobs of the creamery. Allison started getting invloved in Ag. when she was only 8 years old. This is when she first started joining clubs like 4-H and FFA. She then started working in the food industry when she was sixteen years old. In the summer of 04 Allison toured Europe on a food a culture study then graduated from NECI in 2006. Allison got married to her now husband, Jason Marino on the farms property this past summer.
Mathew Parant, son to Jane and Charlie, is the main cheese maker, also incharge of aging the cheese and doing all the handywork (which includes calling a licensed prefessional when neccesary). Mathew has been involved interested in farming and agriculture as far as he can remembered. He studied Agriculutural science at SUNY Cobleskill from 2006 - 2008 and has worked for 3 separate creameries, milked cows on more than one farm, and was a Veternary Techinician at two different Vets offices in Vermont. Besides being the Cheese Maker here at West River Creamery he is alsoa full time father to a beautiful 2 year old named Mason.
Mariah Johnson is The Creamerys Newest Employee. After helping out on the farm since 2008 Mariah relocated with Mathew and theyre son Mason to make cheese for West River Creamery full time about two years ago. She now is the Goat Cheese - Cheese Maker and assists Mat with making the batches of Cow milk. Shes also incharge of Web Management and New Accounts.
Lastly, 19 month old Mason Parant-Johnson, son to Mathew and Mariah, is one of the most important members of the West River Creamery team. Not only is Mason WRC's mascott, but he is also in charge of boosting moral and eating little bits of cheese. Everyone has their individual tasks but we are all involved in all aspects of making this creamery a successful business.
