Culture's 2025 Hot List: Amye Gulezian | culture: the word on cheese
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Culture’s 2025 Hot List: Amye Gulezian


This story is part of culture’s 2025 Hot List. Click here to learn more about the selection process and to see the entire list of recipients.

Amye Gulezian

Vice President and Specialty Foods Operations Manager at High Lawn Farm
Lee, Massachusetts

Amye Gulezian’s passion for cheese began with a love of cows, which led her to earn a degree in heritage dairy breed management. She explored traditional methods of cheesemaking throughout France before joining the Los Angeles Eataly team as a cheesemonger. During the pandemic, Gulezian apprenticed with the late Matthew Brichford of Jacobs & Brichford Farmstead Cheese and worked with various dairies in herd management. After joining High Lawn Farm in 2022, Gulezian helped launch their wholesale program; she currently assists in the growth and refinery of their cheese offerings while overseeing everything from cow care to distribution.

Who is your biggest inspiration in the cheese world?
While she’s not directly in the cheese world, Audrey Gay Rodgers fostered my love for Ayrshire cows and showed me there’s a place for women in dairy, no matter what. Her farm in Belleville, Pennsylvania, has always served as a sanctuary for young girls, encouraging them to step out of their comfort zones. It’s where I milked my first cow, and from there, there was no turning back.

What’s the biggest challenge you’ve experienced or overcome in this industry?
Burnout. I’m not sure I’ve fully overcome it yet, honestly. There’s a lot of pressure to always love what you do, but at the end of the day, it’s still a job. Farming and cheesemaking are 24/7 responsibilities, and with so many friends in the industry, it’s hard to find balance. Taking time off and creating that separation is hugely important.

What’s Next?
I’m really excited about more collaborations with mongers and makers, and helping grow the cheese operations at High Lawn Farm. We’re working on some big projects that I hope will expand cheese production in Massachusetts and give people more ways to connect with it.

Pair a song with cheese: Listen to the entire cheese pairing playlist on Spotify!
Alta Badia + “Feelin’ Comfortable” by BOOM! Trio

What’s the cheese you’re raving to your friends about right now?
Armenian string cheese. It’s such an underrated staple, and because I’m Armenian, it tastes like home.

If you weren’t in the cheese industry, what would your career be?
A pastry chef!

culture: the word on cheese

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