Winther Ysteri wins agricultural award

In the heart of Aker Brygge, entrepreneur Siri Helen Winther has created a distinctive urban cheese dairy that combines traditional craftsmanship with modern communication and sustainable production.

The cheese dairy shares its premises with a restaurant and delicatessen, while glass walls offer a clear view of traditional cheese production.

‘Winther Ysteri is a showcase for cheese production. This type of production usually takes place in a factory far away from customers. You cannot get any closer to the customers than Winther does with its cheese-making process. We on the jury are very impressed by what Winther Ysteri has achieved in such a short time,’ says Olav Ingebjørn Moe, our Head of Department and chair of the jury.

‘As a cheesemaker, cheese judge and sommelier, my passion is to honour tradition while looking firmly to the future. At Winther Ysteri, we take responsibility for the entire value chain – from selecting the finest organic ingredients from farms to creating a unique urban dairy in Oslo. This is how we innovate while building a sustainable and profitable food culture for the capital,’ says Siri Helen Winther, founder and owner of Winther Ysteri.

Winther Ysteri was established in 2020 and has made a name for itself with both fresh Italian cheeses and matured cheeses. Quality is a priority at every stage, from the raw ingredients to the fully matured cheese, ensuring consistently high-quality products. Winther Ysteri has won numerous awards in national and international competitions. It has now received Oslo's Business Development Award in Agriculture.

The founder is a fourth-generation cheesemaker on her mother's side. The dairy uses only organic, unpasteurised Norwegian milk from local farms, continuing the family tradition from Gimsøya in Lofoten. Siri Winther believes this is a key reason why Winther's cheeses have won several prestigious awards.

The dairy sells its products through its own shop, at markets and through retailers, as well as to renowned restaurants and hotels in the Oslo region. It also uses the cheeses in its own restaurant and catering service.

They pay a premium for the milk they buy directly from the farmer. In doing so, they help increase sales and create value for organic milk. The use of organic milk reflects the winner's commitment to animal welfare, the environment and purity.

The company is creating a local food identity for the city's residents and setting an example for innovative business development in urban areas.

Each year, on behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, we present the Business Development Award in Agriculture. The award recognises those who have built a successful business or industry based on rural and agricultural resources. Each year, a winner in every county receives NOK 50,000. The county winners then compete for the national award of NOK 250,000.