This year marks a decade of Stepladder Creamery! Ten years of milking goats, making cheese, and pouring our hearts into a small but mighty creamery nestled in the hills of Cambria. It all started with a few goats and a dream to turn our love for animals, food, and farming into something we could share with the world.
As we celebrate ten years, we’ve been reflecting on the cheeses that helped define who we are. Each name on our label is more than just a title. It’s a love letter to this land, to California, and to the places and stories that inspire us.
Here’s a look back at some of our most beloved cheeses and the local roots behind their names:
Ragged Point
Named for the rocky headland at the southern gateway to Big Sur, Ragged Point is our creamy triple crème cow’s milk cheese that feels like a coastal breeze in cheese form. Lush and decadent, it’s a favorite for pairing with berries, bubbles, or just a moment of indulgence.
Paso Vino
Paso Vino is our homage to two things we love deeply: cheese and wine country. We bathe this cheese in red wine from a local Paso Robles winery, creating a rich, wine-soaked rind that’s as beautiful as a sunset over the vineyards.
Big Sur
Our flagship aged cow’s milk cheese is as bold and iconic as the coastline it's named after. Big Sur is wild, rugged, and a little unpredictable. A natural rind and washed curd give this cheese its punchy character. We like to think it captures the spirit of the coast: untamed, unforgettable, and distinctly Californian.
Cabrillo
Named after the Cabrillo Highway that hugs our stretch of coastline, this firm, Manchego-style cheese is balanced, nutty, and salty with earthy undertones. It’s a nod to the roads that connect our little farm to the rest of the Golden State.
LumberJack
This one’s personal. LumberJack is a washed rind cheese named after Jack who grew up on this land and helped transform it into a working creamery. The name is also a wink to the surrounding forests and the agricultural roots of our region.
Moonstone
This semi-firm Gruyere-style cheese is named after the local Moonstone Beach, where driftwood, tidepools, and the occasional sea otter meet the shore. We think this one is beach picnic-worthy.
Bixby Butterkase
The towering silhouette of Big Sur's iconic Bixby Bridge lies the inspiration for a cheese as breathtaking as the landscape itself. Crafted in the spirit of German artisanry, this double cream cow’s milk treasure unfolds with a symphony of buttery, creamy notes, laced with a lactic zing and the perfect hint of salt.
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Over the years, our cheeses have become more than just something to eat. They’ve become a way for us to share this beautiful place and the people (and goats) who make it special. Thanks for loving our cheese, our herd, and our little corner of California.
