Private Farmhouse Cheesemaking Workshop

The best part of this experience is hands-on: you make your own Dutch farmers cheese, or boerenkaas, at a working farm outside Amsterdam. You will not just watch a demonstration. You will work with the equipment, press your cheese, and take the young wheel home.

I like the private format, since your group gets the guide’s attention, and I like the mix of activities: cheesemaking, tastings, a farm tour, and a look at wooden shoe production. The main concern is value. At $148.75 per person, the workshop needs to feel well organized and close to its advertised two and a half hours.

Key points at a glance

• Make your own boerenkaas: You take part in the process instead of simply sampling finished cheese.
• Private group setting: Only your party participates, with several possible start times.
• Cheese and clog-factory tour: The waiting time while your cheese is pressed becomes part of the wider farm visit.
• Tastings included: Sample Gouda, Edam, other cheeses, fruit wine, and typical Dutch biscuits.
• Take-home cheese: Your young cheese receives a final treatment and is packaged for the journey home.
• Transport is your responsibility: The meeting point is Simonehoeve, Wagenweg 2, Katwoude, outside Amsterdam.

Making boerenkaas at Simonehoeve

This is a food workshop with a useful difference: you make something that continues to mature after you leave. Your cheese begins as a fresh, young product, then receives a small treatment before you take it home. It is a more satisfying souvenir than another packet of sweets because you have helped produce it.

The session begins in the workshop room. You hear about the history and current production of boerenkaas, then work alongside one of the cheesemakers. The activity is practical, but the supplied details do not promise a full technical course, so you should expect an approachable introduction rather than professional cheesemaking training.

The equipment is included, and you do not need to bring special tools. The private format is especially useful here. Cheesemaking involves several small steps, and a guide who can focus on your group should be able to explain what is happening without dividing attention among strangers.

Still, the quality of the session depends heavily on how the guide handles the time. One account describes a friendly guide and a fun afternoon, while another found the guide hurried and scattered, with too little explanation. That contrast matters at this price. You are paying for personal attention, not just access to a farm shop.

What happens while your cheese is under the press

After the cheese is made, it goes under a press. This is the natural point in the schedule for the farm tour, since you cannot keep working on the cheese every minute. You will be shown around the cheese farm and the wooden shoe factory, giving you a look at two familiar Dutch rural products in one stop.

The clog factory adds variety. If you have already spent several days in central Amsterdam, the change of setting can be welcome. The experience is designed to show you another side of the Netherlands, away from canals, museums, and crowded city streets.

You also get to taste the farm’s cheeses during the visit. The selection includes different types of Gouda and Edam, so this is not a single sample followed by a sales pitch. In the farm shop, you are invited to try the available varieties.

That said, Simonehoeve also sells cheese and souvenirs, and the farm includes a shop. The commercial side is part of the stop, so you should be comfortable with a visit that combines workshop, tasting room, retail space, and factory tour. If you want a quiet small-scale class with no sales element, this may feel less personal than expected.

Cheese, fruit wine, and Dutch biscuits

The tasting is one of the stronger parts of the package. You can sample cheese, try a glass of fruit wine, and taste typical Dutch biscuits. These small extras help explain how the farm presents its products, rather than leaving you with only the cheese you made.

I would treat the tasting as a chance to compare flavors. Gouda and Edam are familiar names, but tasting several versions side by side can show you how different cheeses vary in age and style. The information does not specify every variety or the amount served, so do not book this as a full meal.

Food and drinks can be purchased at the restaurant. That is useful if you want to make the farm visit part of a longer outing, but lunch is not included in the workshop price. One person combined the activity with lunch and shoe painting, so you may find additional things to do on site, though those extras should be treated as separate purchases.

The included tastings are best viewed as part of the learning experience. They add context to your own cheese and give you something pleasant to do while the pressing stage is underway. They do not, by themselves, justify the full cost.

Taking your cheese home

At the end, the cheese comes out of the press. It receives a small treatment, then you can take it home. The cheese is very young, so it is not necessarily ready to eat in the same condition as a mature shop-bought wheel.

This is an important practical detail. Your cheese may need to continue its process after the workshop, and packaging is arranged so you can carry it away. One parent and teenager were able to package their cheese for a flight home, where they planned to finish the process.

If you are flying, check the current rules that apply to your route and baggage. The experience information confirms that cheese can be taken home, but it does not give detailed airport, airline, or customs guidance. Keep the packaging intact and ask the farm for any care instructions before leaving.

The take-home cheese gives the workshop a lasting payoff. You can share it later, finish the process at home, and explain that you made it in the Netherlands. For families and couples, that personal result is likely to matter more than a standard tasting.

Is $148.75 a fair price?

The price is $148.75 per person, which puts this well above a basic cheese tasting or short farm visit. The fee covers a private experience, the equipment, the cheesemaking session, tastings of cheese and wine, biscuits, and your own fresh cheese.

The value depends on what you want from the day. If you want a private activity with a finished product, a guide focused on your group, and a break from Amsterdam, the price can make sense. A private booking also avoids being folded into a large class where you watch from the back.

If you mainly want to taste Dutch cheese, the cost is harder to defend. You can sample Gouda and Edam during the shop visit, but the workshop fee is really paying for participation and the private arrangement. The restaurant, transport, lunch, and any shoe-painting activity cost extra.

Group discounts may improve the calculation for a larger party. Ask about the discount before booking, since the supplied information does not state the size of the reduction. A family or small group that values the activity itself may get more from the price than a solo visitor looking for a quick stop.

The uneven feedback about organization is also part of the value question. A friendly, attentive session could feel special. A rushed class with long periods of wandering through the shop could feel expensive. I would book this with the expectation that the farm setting and private format are the main benefits, not a long formal lecture.

Getting to the farm outside Amsterdam

The meeting point is Simonehoeve, Wagenweg 2, 1145 PW Katwoude, Netherlands. Transport is not included, so you must arrange your own way to the farm.

The site is near public transportation, which helps if you do not have a car. The exact route and travel time are not provided, so check the connection from your Amsterdam accommodation before choosing a start time. Allow enough margin to arrive at the farm rather than cutting it close.

The location works best as part of a half-day outside the city. The workshop lasts about two and a half hours, and you may want time for the shop, restaurant, or other activities at the farm. If you schedule it too tightly with a museum reservation back in Amsterdam, transport delays could make the day stressful.

The setting is part of the appeal. You leave the city for a working farm and wooden shoe factory, then return to the same meeting point when the activity ends. You will not need to arrange a second pickup location.

How long the experience really feels

The stated duration is approximately two hours and thirty minutes. That gives you time for an introduction, the cheesemaking, pressing, the farm and clog-factory tour, tastings, and the final packaging.

The hands-on cheesemaking itself will not fill the whole period. Some of the time is taken by pressing and touring, so you should not expect two and a half hours of continuous instruction. One account felt the total visit was closer to two hours and estimated that less than half of that was spent making cheese.

That does not automatically make the schedule poor. Pressing takes time, and the tour is meant to fill that pause. The issue is how well the guide connects the parts. A good session should explain why you are moving from the workshop to the farm, then bring you back to complete the cheese.

You have several possible start times, which makes it easier to fit the visit around your Amsterdam plans. Since this is a private activity, your group may have more flexibility than a large scheduled tour, but you should still arrive at the confirmed start time.

Who will enjoy this most

I would recommend this for families, couples, and small groups who want to make something together. The activity worked particularly well for an adult and a 14-year-old, since it offers a task, tastings, and a farm visit rather than a long talk aimed only at adults.

It also suits anyone who wants a break from Amsterdam’s center. The change to a rural setting gives the day a different pace, and the clog factory adds a distinctly Dutch touch. You do not need to be a serious cheese expert to take part.

The workshop may be less suitable for a visitor on a strict budget. The price is high for a short activity, and meals and transport are extra. It may also disappoint you if you want detailed instruction on production, aging, and farmhouse cheesemaking, since the format appears to favor a broad introduction.

You should also think about how much shopping you enjoy. The farm includes a shop with cheese and souvenirs, and the commercial setting is part of the visit. Some people will appreciate the chance to buy Dutch products. Others may feel the workshop is too closely tied to retail.

Booking, cancellation, and practical details

Confirmation is provided when you book. The activity is offered in English, and only your group takes part. Service animals are allowed.

Free cancellation is available if you cancel at least 24 hours before the local start time. Cancellations made less than 24 hours ahead are not refunded, and changes within that period are not accepted.

The meeting and end point are the same. This makes the experience easier to plan than an activity with a separate drop-off, but you still need to arrange your own transport to and from Katwoude.

Since the cheese is fresh and young, bring a plan for carrying it home. If you are continuing your trip, ask about the best way to store it and how long the process should continue. The farm can provide the cheese, but the available information does not give a full storage guide.

Should you book the Simonehoeve cheese workshop?

Book it if you want a private, hands-on Dutch food activity and like the idea of carrying home cheese you made yourself. The combination of cheesemaking, cheese tasting, fruit wine, biscuits, and a clog-factory visit gives you more than a single classroom lesson.

I would be cautious if your main goal is a polished, detailed class. The $148.75 price leaves little room for a disorganized guide or a session that runs short. Before paying, confirm the start time, expected duration, transport plan, and what happens to the cheese after you leave.

For a family or small group that values shared activities, this can be a memorable half-day outside Amsterdam. For a budget visitor or a serious cheese student, the cost and uneven organization make it harder to recommend without reservations.

FAQ

Where does the cheesemaking workshop take place?

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

How long does the activity last?

The advertised duration is approximately two hours and thirty minutes.

Is transport to the farm included?

No. You are responsible for getting to Simonehoeve and returning afterward. The farm is near public transportation.

Is this a private activity?

Yes. Only your group participates in the activity.

What is included in the price?

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

Is the activity offered in English?

Yes. The workshop is offered in English.

Can I cancel for a full refund?

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