Private Farmhouse Cheesemaking Workshop

Cheese tastes better when you make it yourself. This private workshop takes you from Amsterdam to a working cheese farm near Katwoude, where you make Dutch farmers’ cheese, tour a clog factory, and sample Gouda, Edam, fruit wine, and biscuits. I like the hands-on cheese making and the chance to see a less urban side of the Netherlands. The main concern is value: at $148.75 per person, the experience depends heavily on how organized and attentive your guide is.

I also like the flexible start times and private format. Your group gets the guide’s attention, which can work especially well for families or a small group with its own pace. But the program can feel uneven if too much time is spent wandering around the shop while the guide handles other tasks.

Five things to know before you book

• You make your own Boerenkaas: The central activity is practical, not just a cheese tasting. You help produce a small young cheese and take it home.
• The farm is outside Amsterdam: The meeting point is Simonehoeve, Wagenweg 2 in Katwoude, so you must arrange your own transport.
• The cheese needs more time: Your fresh cheese receives a small treatment before you leave, and you may need to finish the process at home.
• The private format has two sides: Only your group participates, but the quality of the visit depends on your guide staying focused.
• The tasting goes beyond cheese: You can try Gouda and Edam, fruit wine, and typical Dutch biscuits, with lunch and other food available for purchase.
• Book ahead: The experience is often reserved about 36 days in advance, so popular start times may disappear early.

Making Boerenkaas at the Simonehoeve farm

The visit begins in a workshop room at Simonehoeve, the cheese farm and wooden-shoe factory in Katwoude. Katwoude gives you a break from Amsterdam’s canals and busy streets, while still keeping the experience close enough for a half-day outing.

You start with an introduction to Boerenkaas, the Dutch name for farmers’ cheese. The opening talk covers the background of this traditional cheese and explains how it is produced today. That context matters because the workshop is more satisfying when you understand what you are making, rather than simply following instructions with a pot of curds.

The main activity is making cheese with one of the farm’s cheesemakers. You use the provided equipment and work through the process as a group. The exact amount of hands-on time can vary, but the cheese-making portion is not the entire two-and-a-half-hour visit. One account described about 45 minutes of actual cheese preparation, with the rest of the visit devoted to tasting, touring, and waiting for the cheese to come out of the press.

That is worth knowing before you pay. If you want a serious cheesemaking class with constant instruction, this may feel light. If you want a relaxed activity with food, farm sights, and a take-home item, the format makes more sense.

Waiting for the press, then touring the farm

Once your cheese goes under the press, you leave the workshop room for a tour of the cheese farm and clog factory. This is the point where the visit changes from a class into a broader Dutch culture outing.

The farm tour gives you a look at the setting behind the cheese. The clog factory adds a distinctly Dutch touch, and it helps explain why this visit is not simply a tasting session. The combination can be especially appealing if you are traveling with a child or teenager who may not want two straight hours of food instruction.

The tour also includes cheese tasting. In the farm shop, you can sample different types of Gouda and Edam. This is a useful part of the experience because Dutch cheese varies widely in age and flavor, and tasting several kinds gives you a better sense of what to buy later during your trip.

You are also offered fruit wine and typical Dutch biscuits. These small extras make the visit feel more social and local, though they do not transform the experience into a full meal. Food and drinks can be bought at the restaurant if you want lunch or something more substantial.

One practical point: the cheese shop and factory setting can create a strong temptation to buy souvenirs, cheese, and wooden shoes. That is not automatically a bad thing, especially if you enjoy browsing local products. Still, keep your expectations clear. The workshop should be judged by the quality of the cheese activity and guide, not by how much time you spend in the shop.

Taking home a young cheese

After the tour, you return to the cheese press. Your young cheeses are removed and receive a small treatment before you take them home.

The cheese is fresh and still at an early stage. It is not necessarily ready to eat in the same way as a fully aged Gouda from the shop. One particularly useful detail is that the cheese can be packaged for a flight, with the process finished after you return home. Ask for clear instructions before leaving so you know exactly what to do next.

This take-home element is one of the best reasons to choose the workshop over a standard farm visit. You do not just take photographs or buy something made by someone else. You leave with a food souvenir that connects directly to the work you did during the class.

It is also a nice fit for families. A 14-year-old, for example, can take part in the activity, see the cheese being pressed, and bring home a finished project. The hands-on part gives the day a clear purpose, instead of making the farm stop feel like a quick retail visit.

What the private format really means

This is a private activity, so only your group participates. That is a real advantage if you want to ask questions, work at your own pace, or avoid being placed with a large bus group.

A private booking can also make the experience more personal for families and small groups. You can focus on the cheese, spend longer tasting, or ask about the farm and production without competing for attention.

The drawback is that a private format does not guarantee a perfectly managed class. The guide has to balance the workshop, the press, the farm tour, and the shop. If the guide leaves the group to handle other business, the visit can feel scattered. One account described the guide as hurried and said the history and production details were not explained well.

That criticism is important because the educational part is supposed to justify much of the price. I would go in expecting a friendly practical activity, but I would not book this as a formal professional cheesemaking course. The experience is strongest when the guide keeps the group involved and explains what is happening at each stage.

Is $148.75 per person a fair price?

At $148.75 per person, this is not a cheap add-on. You are paying for a private experience, equipment, instruction, tastings, a farm and clog-factory tour, and your own cheese. The value improves if several people in your group participate and you make full use of the private setting.

Group discounts may also change the calculation. If you are booking for a family or small party, check the final price carefully rather than assuming the per-person rate tells the whole story.

The price is harder to justify if you mainly want to sample Dutch cheese. You can taste Gouda and Edam during this experience, but the cheese tasting is only one part of the visit. A shop visit would likely suit you better if you do not care about making your own cheese.

I see the price as reasonable for a special family activity or a private day outside Amsterdam, but high for a short class with limited hands-on time. The guide’s attention makes the difference. A well-run session can feel memorable. A loosely managed session can feel like an expensive stop at a tourist-oriented farm shop.

Planning your trip to Katwoude

Transport to the farm is not included. You need to reach Simonehoeve at Wagenweg 2, 1145 PW Katwoude, Netherlands, on your own. The farm is near public transportation, but the experience does not provide a transfer from Amsterdam.

Build extra time into your plans so you are not rushing to the start. The workshop lasts about two hours and 30 minutes, though the description allows for a two to three-hour visit. It ends back at the same meeting point.

Several start times are offered, which helps you fit the activity around your Amsterdam plans. I would choose a time that leaves room for lunch or a relaxed return to the city, since food and drinks are available at the restaurant.

The experience is offered in English. A mobile ticket is accepted, and confirmation is provided when you book. Service animals are allowed.

Because the farm is often booked around 36 days ahead, I would reserve early if you need a particular time or are coordinating a family schedule. Free cancellation is available up to 24 hours before the start time. Changes or cancellations made within 24 hours are not accepted for a refund, and the cut-off follows local time.

Adding lunch, wooden shoes, or more farm time

The workshop itself includes cheese, fruit wine, and biscuit tastings, but not lunch. You can purchase food and drinks in the restaurant, which makes it possible to turn the stop into a longer outing.

One account paired the cheese workshop with shoe painting and lunch at the same location. Those extras are not part of the cheese workshop itself, so check what you are booking before you arrive. Still, the possibility may appeal to families who want several activities in one place.

The clog factory is already part of the tour, giving you a look at another familiar Dutch craft. If you have limited time in the Netherlands, combining cheese, wooden shoes, and a farm setting gives you more variety than a stand-alone tasting.

Just keep the day’s purpose in mind. This is a commercial visitor site with products for sale. That does not make the cheese activity invalid, but it means you should expect a mix of instruction, shopping, tasting, and sightseeing rather than a quiet working farm visit with no retail element.

Who will enjoy this experience most?

I would recommend it most to:

• Families with children or teenagers who enjoy making things
• Small groups wanting a private activity outside Amsterdam
• Visitors who want to bring home a food souvenir they helped create
• First-time visitors curious about Gouda, Edam, and Dutch farm traditions
• People who like combining a class with tasting and local crafts

I would be more cautious if you want a detailed lesson on cheese production. The session may not provide enough sustained instruction for serious food enthusiasts. I would also think twice if you have no interest in shopping, since the farm shop and clog factory are part of the setting.

The experience works best when you treat it as a relaxed cultural outing with a hands-on centerpiece. It is not a full-day farm apprenticeship, and it is not simply a cheese tasting.

Should you book the Simonehoeve cheese workshop?

Book it if you want a private, family-friendly activity where you make a small Dutch cheese, taste local products, and see a farm and clog factory near Amsterdam. The take-home cheese is the strongest feature, and the private format can make the visit feel special when the guide gives your group proper attention.

Skip it if the $148.75 price feels high for less than an hour of actual cheese making, or if you want a tightly structured class with detailed instruction from start to finish. Before booking, ask yourself one simple question: do you want to make a cheese and enjoy a wider farm outing, or do you only want to taste Dutch cheese? If it is the first, this can be a fun and unusual half-day. If it is the second, your money may be better spent elsewhere.

FAQ

Where does the cheese workshop take place?

The workshop takes place at Simonehoeve, Wagenweg 2, 1145 PW Katwoude, Netherlands.

How long does the experience last?

The activity lasts approximately two hours and 30 minutes. The workshop description allows for a total duration of two to three hours.

How much does the workshop cost?

The listed price is $148.75 per person. Group discounts may be available.

Is transport from Amsterdam included?

No. Transport to the farm is not included. The meeting point is near public transportation, and you arrange your own way there.

What is included in the experience?

The price includes use of cheesemaking equipment, free tastings of cheese, fruit wine, and biscuits, and your own fresh homemade cheese to take home.

Is the activity private?

Yes. Only your group participates in the activity.

Is the workshop offered in English?

Yes. The experience is offered in English.

Can I cancel for a refund?

Yes. You can cancel at least 24 hours before the local start time for a full refund. Cancellations or changes made less than 24 hours before the start time are not accepted for a refund.