About Us

Where It All Began

Our Humble Origins

Shire’s Naturals was born from a simple question: Why should choosing dairy-free mean settling for less?

Joshua Velasquez and Adam Hamilton dreamed of opening a plant-based restaurant rooted in real nourishment, fresh, whole ingredients, thoughtfully prepared. As they began developing the menu, one ingredient kept falling short: dairy-free cheese. Every option they tested was packed with cheap inflammatory oils, gums, and thickeners. None aligned with their values, or with Joshua’s needs, after discovering he was lactose intolerant himself.

That personal realization lit the fire. If dairy wasn’t an option, and the alternatives were filled with junk, there had to be a better way.

So, instead of opening a restaurant, Joshua took a different path that could have a greater impact.

He built a 750-square-foot food lab in his parents’ basement. No funding. No food science degree. Just a Vitamix, a stack of fermentation books, and a stubborn belief that better was possible.

After four years of trial, error, and late-night batches, he cracked the code: a cashew-based cheese made with cultures and time, not shortcuts. It was tangy, creamy, and alive with flavor. He knew it had to be shared.

Today, that basement-born recipe lives on in our fermentation facility in historic Peterborough, New Hampshire, where craft, culture, and clean ingredients come together to create dairy-free food that finally lives up to the name.

Our Classical Process

The Rhythm of Fermentation

At Shire's, we combine tradition, innovation, and classical music to create a cheese that offers an exceptional sensory experience. Classical music positively impacts the beneficial microorganisms present in our cheese during
fermentation, enhancing the depth and complexity of flavors. Our cheese is a symphony of taste, made possible by the delicate interplay between music and science.

Our Community

We proudly call Peterborough, NH, our home. The spirit of togetherness and support is palpable in every aspect of life here, including the creation of exceptional food. It's a place where neighbors become friends, and friends become family.

Nestled in the Monadnock region, where nature's beauty and the community's warmth come together perfectly. The Monadnock region is steeped in history and tradition. Its rich heritage serves as a timeless source of inspiration for us. Monadnock embodies the same fusion of past and present, just as our cheese-making process blends old-world artistry and modern innovation.

Our Mission

At Shire’s Naturals, we exist to cultivate health through quality dairy alternatives. Our mission is to help people experience joy through simple ingredients — clean, fermented, dairy-free foods made without compromise.

We welcome anyone seeking vibrant, nourishing alternatives to overly processed foods — whether you're dairy-free by necessity, by choice, or simply looking for food that feels good.

Join Us on the Journey


We invite you to be part of our journey, from a humble basement lab to a brand built on craftsmanship and care. At Shire’s, our story is rooted in a passion for clean, dairy-free cheese that nourishes the body, delights the palate, and brings people together. Welcome to our world of uncompromising quality and flavor.

2011

Joshua starts fermenting cashews to make a healthy plant-based cheese.

2013

Josh & Adam build a test lab in Joshua’s parent’s basement in Harrisville, NH.

2014

Adam packing cheese late night

2015

No more deliveries in milk crates. Josh posing with two 12-pack cases of cheese.

2016

Launched a frozen ravioli filled with our cheese!

2017

Outgrowing the 750 sqft test lab.

2018

Breaking ground for our new home in Peterborough, NH.

2019

We moved into our new 8,000 sqft facility.

2020-2022

E-commerce kept us busy during the Covid years.

2023

We return to the drawing board and rebrand the company from Nuttin Ordinary to Shire’s Naturals.

Meet Our Cheese Maker

Joshua Velasquez

Founder/ CEO

Joshua Velasquez, the driving force behind Shire’s Naturals, is more than a founder; he’s a visionary with a mission rooted in family, tradition, and purpose.

Born and raised in the projects of Queens, New York, Joshua is a first-generation American whose early life was shaped by resilience, creativity, and a deep appreciation for the role food plays in culture and community. At age 10, his family moved to New England, eventually settling in New Hampshire for a better life rooted in nature, health, and opportunity.


Raised on a mostly plant-based, whole-food diet, filled with homemade meals, real ingredients, and a deep respect for what food could do, Joshua grew up believing that food should nourish and never compromise our health. His childhood was rich in rituals that shaped his values: fresh applesauce in the fall, canned tomatoes from the garden, homemade soy milk at the kitchen counter, and fresh eggs from the family’s chickens. Meals were made from scratch, including lentil loaves, oat burgers, and tofu patties, crafted with care and intention long before “clean-label” was a thing.

That foundation later became his mission: to create dairy-free alternatives that never sacrifice quality, flavor, or integrity.

Years later, after discovering his own lactose intolerance, Joshua was frustrated by the dairy-free options on the market. Most were packed with cheap, inflammatory oils, gums, and thickeners, a far cry from the clean, vibrant foods he was raised on. So, he took matters into his own hands.

In 2013, Joshua transformed a 750-square-foot basement in his parents’ home into an R&D Lab. For the next four years, he immersed himself in the craft of fermentation, traditional cheese-making, and culture development, driven not by formal training but by obsession, curiosity, and an unwavering refusal to compromise.

That journey became Shire’s Naturals, a company rooted in clean-label ingredients, time-honored fermentation, and a deep respect for the power of food to nourish and connect. We’re not chasing trends. We’re returning to what food was always meant to be: vibrant, nourishing, and alive.

Today, Joshua leads with the same conviction that brought his family from Queens to New England. He oversees production, scales manufacturing, and drives innovation, all while staying grounded in the values that shaped him.

Welcome to Shire’s Naturals, where our story is still being written, and you’re part of it.

Adam Hamilton

Co-founder

Adam grew up in Charlestown, Rhode Island, where healthy eating and hard work were a way of life — from his mother’s backyard garden to shifts at his grandfather’s restaurant. He met Joshua during a summer job, and their shared passion for wellness sparked a lasting connection.

In the early days of Shire’s Naturals, Adam worked at a local bank by day and packed cheese at night, often traveling on weekends to sample product at grocery stores, helping grow the business during its foundational years.