About Us

A True San Francisco Love Story:

Our humble origins begin in the fog-kissed hills of San Francisco. The year is 2006 and a group of eager students are engaged in a palate examination in eight styles of cheese. The classroom itself is not much more than a pocket-sized storage room, but the students have already transported themselves to French Pyrenees in just one bite.

Much like cheesemaking itself and in the zeitgeist of San Francisco we made do with what was available. Despite its limited space word began to grow about these unique and appetizing classes.

Then, in 2011 a friendship blossomed between Kiri Fisher and Daphne Zepos. Together they developed a perfect balance of curds and whey. With a delightful blend of knowledge, innovation, and passion The Cheese School expanded its educational repertoire, becoming known for catering that celebrates the bounty and creativity of all things cheese.

Tragedy struck in 2012 as Daphne was diagnosed with stage four cancer and passed away shortly thereafter. Daphne was a legend in her own time, and we invite you to read her story on the walls at The Cheese School. She continues to be a constant source of inspiration and knowledge.

We began to outgrow our third home in the Mission district and decided we wanted a permanent location to call home.

In 2018 we found it in San Francisco’s historic Ghirardelli Square, undertaking a complete renovation. Our one-room schoolhouse now has an entire floor of its own with an iconic view of the San Francisco Bay. We’ve scoured the globe for the world’s best cheeses and invite you, whichever part of the world you may be from, to come and learn with us. After all, the best way to learn about cheese is by sharing.