A family of cheesemakers

The cheese Rebeccah started

Heritage Cheese Company carries on a story that began in 1999, when Rebeccah Salmeri made her first cheese at nineteen, using the extra milk from her family's dairy. Her father brought in a French cheese consultant to teach her the craft, and she never stopped.

Brazos Valley Cheese, Waco, 2005

In 2005 Rebeccah and her cousin started Brazos Valley Cheese on Halbert Lane in Waco. They began with a 36-gallon kettle and grew into 200-gallon batches, aging hard cheeses in a cave dug seventeen feet underground. Brazos Valley's cheeses won ribbons at the American Cheese Society, including first place for Eden, a fig-leaf-wrapped Brie.

Brush Creek Creamery, Idaho

A few years later Rebeccah moved to Idaho and started Brush Creek Creamery in Deary with her husband, Brian. Brush Creek has gone on to win national awards of its own: best cow's-milk Brie at the American Cheese Society for its Mountain Maple Brie, first place for its Orchard Blue, and a 2026 Good Food Award for its Marinated Labneh.

Heritage Cheese Company

Brazos Valley Cheese now belongs to an ownership group that includes members of Rebeccah's family, and it has a new name: Heritage Cheese Company. The name honors where this cheese comes from: a family, a craft and a lot of patience.

Where our cheese comes from today

While we get our Waco cheese room ready, our cheese comes from a small group of trusted artisan creameries, including Rebeccah's Brush Creek Creamery. We choose cheesemakers who work in small batches, by hand, the way Brazos Valley always has.

What's next

We're bringing cheesemaking back to Halbert Lane. In early 2027 we'll open hands-on cheesemaking classes for individuals and couples, and a full online shop is on the way. Until then, call us to order. We ship.

Visit or call

Come see us at 206 Halbert Lane in Waco, or call (254) 723-4777 to order by phone.