Our Story

"They are third-generation dairy farmers, and were “raised right.” The brothers are well-respected by other farmers for their honesty, kindness, and good stewardship of the land. They also can fix or grow just about anything. That’s about as good as it gets. So what if they’re shy? Their cheeses aren’t…"

-Barbara Hanley and Leo Brooks
(friends of the brothers who volunteered to help them find a way to thrive on the farm)

The Shy Brothers Welcome You...
The Santos brothers, called the Shy Brothers because they are, are two sets of fraternal twins. Arthur and Norman are the older boys, while Kevin and Karl are the younger. All in their 40’s, these boys love working on their farm and wouldn’t have it any other way!

They are third-generation dairy farmers, and were “raised right.” The brothers are well-respected by other farmers for their honesty, kindness, and good stewardship of the land. They also can fix or grow just about anything. That’s about as good as it gets. So what if they’re shy? Their cheeses aren’t…

Our Farm
The Shy Brothers’ farm encompasses the highest land in a peninsula between the two branches of the Westport River. The farm gets cooling breezes in the summer, even fog some days. The salt air moderates temperatures in the winter months. The cows are able to stay at pasture longer than most in the region. The brothers are careful with their animals and of course don’t use any antibiotics or hormones on their milkers. The brothers control the quality of their herd, one of the secrets to great artisanal cheese!

Our Cheese
These unique cheeses start in the pasture, on our hill, in our fog and sunshine and salt air. No one can ever duplicate our cheeses because of the unique characteristics of our soil, our grasses, and our microclimate.

We milk before the sun comes up each day, and that very fresh milk becomes our Hannahbells. Karl carefully pasteurizes our milk so as to protect maximum natural enzymes. We then add imported cultures and natural rennet under Karl’s watchful eye at precisely the exact temperatures needed to get the creaminess he demands of the cheeses. After carefully tending the cheeses for a week, he moves them into the ripening room, where they mature for a few more days until he decides they are ready.

We import two forms of delicious edible mold from France for the rind on each tiny cheese. They both protect the cheese and add to the complexity of the flavors. The first forms immediately and is buttery yellow and creamy in texture. The second is white and dusty in texture, and is the more flavorful of the two. It starts being visible about 10 days after the cheeses are made and continues to form. The whiter the surface flora, the more flavorful the rind!

So let the white develop on the outside of your Hannahbells.

Remember, cheese is a living thing!