The Old Cheesemakery

from a historical point of view

With the outbreak of the First World War the Spruytte Family fled from Passendale to Normandy, where they ran a restaurant during the war.

Germaine Spruytte learned how to make cheese of the type Pont l’Evêque. When they came back to Passendale, she and her husband Romain Donck started making cheese on the rebuilt farm. Soon the production outgrew the farm and they decided to build a cheesemakery just opposite the farm.

In 1936 they produced many cheeses all of the Pont l’Evêque type. To improve the quality and to develop a new type of cheese they hired a Swiss cheese maker.

During World War II the production ceased.

In 1946 production was started again in a new building. In 1949 however, they had to move to the Boucque Brewery in the centre of Passendale.

The old butter and cheesemakery was temporarily used by the Brie Soenen company of Ieper for the production of Brie and white cheese.

In 1963 there came an end to all production and the building was left.