Who is “The Cheese Guy?”
My name is John Davis. I was born in England and have lived in Japan continuously since 1976.
As soon as I arrived, I fell in love with the Japanese cuisine. I found a rich world of food that I hadn’t known existed. I loved it all.
But there was one thing I missed.
There was no cheese here.
Every time I went abroad, I brought back a suitcase full of cheese.
Then I remembered helping my mother make cheese as a child and decided to see if I could revive the skills. Getting hold of the ingredients in Japan was difficult, but I managed it. The first few attempts were surprisingly good. I was encouraged.
I made more. I found a way to get the ingredients. Friends started to ask for cheese. Well, very shortly I had sold out.
So, I thought, “I wonder if I could do this as a business?”
I realised that I would have to think bigger.
Luckily a good friend introduced me to a relative of his in Ozato. He had 130 Holstein cows and wanted to make cheese, so we decided to join forces.
Now we have a fully equipped cheese factory on the Oyadomari Bokujo in Ozato, Nanjo shi.