This interview is part of culture’s 2026 Hot List. Click here to learn more about our selection process and to see the latest Hot List class.
Amy Rowbottom
Founder & Cheesemaker, Crooked Face Creamery
Maine
Raised on a Maine dairy farm, Amy Rowbottom has spent a lifetime understanding milk. As founder and sole proprietor of Crooked Face Creamery, she has translated that expertise into a line of small-batch cheeses that have earned international acclaim, including snagging a Super Gold for her ricotta at the 2025–2026 World Cheese Awards and Food & Wine naming her Up North Applewood Cold Smoked Ricotta as the number one soft cheese in America in their March 2026 issue. Working with high-quality local milk and a restrained, ingredient-first approach, Rowbottom produces cheeses that are both deeply personal and distinctly regional—and often cold-smoked with locally sourced applewood for added depth and character.
Her Skowhegan, Maine-based creamery and retail shop prioritizes community connection as much as craft. Focusing on ultra-fresh cheeses—some with a shelf life of days—Rowbottom has built a model that resists scale in favor of integrity, proving that exceptional cheese doesn’t need to travel far to make a lasting impression.
What was your big “aha moment” when entering this industry?
Growing up on my family farm, I spent my childhood playing in the barn with my stuffed cow, Lucy. That playfulness turned into curiosity and eventually into a lifelong passion. It took me years to really find my place on the farm, but turning milk into cheese in my late 20s—that was my biggest “aha moment.”
At the same time, I’ll never forget my first trip to New York City to visit Saxelby Cheesemongers. I walked into the shop with chalkboards full of cheese names that seemed to stretch beyond its walls. Something just clicked. I remember thinking, whatever is happening here, these are my people and this is where I belong.
What does your cheese say about you, and about Maine?
I make a cheese with a shelf life of just 12 to 18 days—in a small town in rural Maine, well beyond where many distributors are willing to travel. That reality shapes everything I do. It means the cheese has to be truly exceptional: memorable, deeply flavorful, and absolutely worth the effort it takes to seek it out.
It also says a lot about the place I call home. Producing a cheese like this requires a community that values quality, craftsmanship, and connection to their food. In the end, it speaks to both the integrity of what we make and the kind of place we live in—one where people genuinely care about where their food comes from.
Why did you decide to keep your business in Maine?
Maine is a special place to call home. After graduating college and working desk jobs in other states, it didn’t take long for me to realize that where I’m from is where I want to be. Leaving gave me that appreciation, but I’ve never looked back.
I care deeply about the dairy industry here and want to contribute to it in any way I can. I’m very rooted here, and it truly takes a village to run a small business. I’m surrounded by an incredibly supportive community.
I get to watch kids grow up eating our whole milk ricotta—one minute they can barely see over the counter and the next they’re graduating high school. I help pick out cheese for weddings, birthdays, celebrations of life. In small but meaningful ways, I get to be a part of people’s lives, and I never take that for granted.
What does being a community builder and collaborator mean to you?
It’s extremely important to me—not just being a part of my community, but to contribute to it. We are stronger together, and any way we can support each other helps all of us. Collaboration isn’t just productive, it’s inspiring. It’s not about what one of us can do, it’s about what we can do together.
In the past few years, I’ve focused on investing more time in our youth. I make space for tours with elementary school kids each week, and we talk about where food comes from and what it takes to run a small business. Maybe you only reach a few kids, but that impact is invaluable.
Your ricotta won a Super Gold at the 2025–2026 World Cheese Awards. What does that recognition mean to you?
Honestly, it’s a mix of shock and awe, paired with a quiet sense of hell yeah—I’ve worked really hard for this.
For nearly two decades I’ve kept my head down and focused on the work. Now, looking up, it feels like everything I’ve been building is finally beginning to bloom. I’ve poured myself into this product—batch after batch, week after week—and to have that reflected back by people I respect so much is an incredible feeling.
Where do you see yourself or your creamery in the next 10 years?
I’m not sure what I enjoy more, making cheese or selling it. I love shining a light on other creameries just as much as I enjoy sharing my own work.
Looking ahead, I see myself continuing to make cheese while growing the retail side of the business—bringing in more local wines, cheeses, and thoughtfully chosen accompaniments. I’m also excited to host more intimate tastings in the barn I built on my family farm. More than anything, I know I’ll keep learning. There’s always more to discover in this craft, and that’s what makes it so rewarding.
What do you love most about the artisan cheese world?
Hands down, the camaraderie. There’s nothing better than when fellow cheesemakers stop by and what’s meant to be a quick delivery turns into a two-hour conversation. We talk about everything: great batches, failed batches, equipment, life, kids, all of it.
It’s an incredibly passionate and generous community, and I feel lucky to be part of it. At the end of the day, it’s about more than the cheese—it’s about connection and knowing we’re all in this together.
Did you ever doubt whether you could do this?
Every day. I never feel like I’ve arrived—like I’ve learned everything there is to know. There’s always a level of vulnerability in this work. Just when things feel steady, something can shift.
I think a lot about a line from John Prine: “That’s the way the world goes round, you’re up one day, the next you’re down.” Growing up on a dairy farm, I watched my parents navigate that reality constantly, and it gave me a deep sense of resilience. When you care this much about something, it becomes more than work—it’s love. And at that point, continuing isn’t really a choice. It’s just what you do.
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