The History of Baker String Cheese

At the age of 16, Frank Baker learned the art of cheesemaking through an apprenticeship at the Winkler Cheese Factory in Plymouth, WI. Six years later in 1916, he purchased a cheese factory in St. Cloud, WI, which is where the Baker Cheese Country Store is located today. Frank’s passion and expertise of producing cheddar cheese led the business through the challenging years of the 1920s - 1930s. His innovative spirit was shown by being one of the first to use a cream separator, with the idea of separating cream from whey which was used to produce butter.

The third generation of Bakers worked closely with Francis to accomplish his vision of string cheese as a satisfying everyday snack. Baker became an industry leader through the innovation and design of string cheese manufacturing and equipment.  The Baker family pioneered the extrusion process allowing for a more consistent product. The Baker’s innovative drive continued as it automated the cheese cutting process and introduced individually wrapped packages of string cheese, meeting consumers’ needs for taste and convenience. The 1990s and 2000s brought strong demand and growth for Baker String Cheese and the Baker family committed to three large scale plant expansions that helped solidify the company as a national leader in string cheese.