Faces of Cheese: Fernando Rodríguez Aldudo — Brieyoncé The Cheese Maven

Fernando Rodríguez Aldudo is a true legend in the world of cheese. Born in Valladolid, Spain, he has long been a beloved figure in the Spanish cheese community. Deeply invested in the preservation and growth of the artisanal society, he approaches everyone and everything he does with both diligence and grace. He is admired globally by many in the industry for his expertise and business acumen but beyond this he is about cultivating a cheese clan.

I first met Aldudo in September 2017 at the Slow Foods Cheese Festival in Bra, Italy where I would be working for him selling cheese. At the time, Fernando was the Managing Director of Queseria 1605. Fernando was tall and broad, with kind dark eyes and a smile that would occasionally come across his somewhat serious face. I found him to be a pensive and deeply passionate man. Aside from his great reputation, what truly stood out to me the most about him was his ability to spiritually connect with others through the art of conversation. We sold cheese to thousands of people over the course of the festival, and I could see the impression that he left with each customer with whom he interacted. It was then that I first realized how alike we were. For us, cheese is a social vehicle combining artistry, history, and personality that happens to be encased in an enticing morsel of food.

Over the course of those four days, I revealed myself to the keen observer that Aldudo is in ways I hadn’t been expecting. I didn’t speak Spanish, Italian, German, or Portuguese, and I was just beginning to learn French…but I was fluent in cheese. He saw my heartfelt passion and my ability to bond with people and it touched him. At the end of the festival Aldudo announced that he was bringing me to Spain so that I could continue learning and working with him.

I soon found myself in Spain with Aldudo on what would be one of the greatest trips of my life. I was able to visit Madrid and begin to experience the rich and dynamic culture of the capital city. I attended flamenco shows, ate and drank the best delicacies, and got to see Picasso’s Guernica (my favorite painting in the world!) at the museum Reina Sofía. From there we traveled to Herencia in La Mancha where I spent a week learning how to make Manchego with his team. I was able to learn about the land and play with the adorable sheep, all while staying in a gorgeous ranch-style hotel where we were the only occupants. The following week we began travelling across the regions of Castilla-La Mancha and Castile and León where I was treated to even more surprises: a visit to Peñafiel Castle, tours of the ancient cities of Toledo and Valladolid, and even a private tour of the winery 3 Ases. Aldudo even included me in his business dealings so that I could start to understand how he conducted his affairs in the country. This was my first time in Spain and I spent over three weeks on this incredible journey! Fernando didn’t just introduce me to how to make Manchego or how a dairy farm runs its operations. He provided me with a more profound education - he taught me about the soul of Spain and how it infuses the cheeses he creates and sells.

Fast forward to summer of 2019. I had continued in my adventures as the Brieyoncé The Cheese Maven, always keeping in touch with Aldudo. He is now the founder Tqueso Spain, a Spanish cheese cooperative focused on bringing the best Spanish cheesemakers’ products to the global market. Aldudo hired me to represent the company and I am proud to share with you that I work as the Brand Ambassador for Tqueso! The company is very new but has some of the most delicious cheeses I’ve ever tasted. His vision for Tqueso is two-fold. He is invested in creating a larger platform for the many varieties of Spanish cheeses beyond of the well-known Manchego so that Spanish cheeses can start to enjoy the global status afforded to the products of other countries such as France and Italy. He also sees a greater goal in the unification of all these dairy families into the large kinship that is Tqueso.

Fernando Aldudo is not just an excellent businessman, a beacon of knowledge, or a globetrotting entrepreneur. He is a true family man, admired community leader, and as he told me in 2017 – he is also my Cheese Father. Aldudo is one of the kindest, hardest working, and most soulful people I've ever met in my life. I am honored to be the American daughter that has been adopted into the loving embrace of this incredible family that is Tqueso.