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PROFILE
take a seat and enjoy the show, a mesmer- izing flow of milk, curds and whey that will ultimately become the company's signature cheese, the aptly named Flagship, of which the business has developed a full line of variations, from 4-Year Aged and Reserve to Kosher and Raw Milk. One vat, which makes about 35 wheels of cheese, takes five to six hours to complete. Since its launch nearly a year and a half ago, Beecher's has gone from making three vats per week to 20—four vats a day, five days a week—and Utano hopes to expand production to seven days in 2013. Walking toward the store's rear, past
the café and coffee bar, shoppers will find a towering 4,400-gallon milk tank, which is filled daily with milk from upstate New York farms Dutch Hollow and Ooms. "We have a good relationship with our farmers," says Utano, noting that he visits them regu- larly and they, in turn, visit the store to host and participate in events. While customers can watch the local
cheese being made, the first batches are still going through the aging process and aren't quite ready for sale. Utano expects the first New York–made Flagship to be available in early 2013. For now, customers can enjoy the Seattle location's cheeses— many of which Utano has had a hand in— including Flagsheep, which was awarded this year's Best of Show at the American Cheese Society's annual conference and competition, among 1,711 contenders. A cow's milk and sheep's milk blend, Flagsheep is a mixed-milk variation of Flagship. Utano describes it as nutty, sharp and ending on a sweet note. "It really lingers on your palate," he says.
The Cheese Counter, Café and The Cellar
At 8,000 square feet, Beecher's is a bustling market, café and restaurant that caters to loyal customers, local workers and tourists alike. On entering the store, customers are greeted by a host, ready to point toward the cheese counter directly to the right or
The building's once dingy, dirt-floor basement has been transformed into a full-service restaurant and bar, dubbed The Cellar. "I wanted to have a restaurant where people could experience our food in a more convivial setting than just in the café," says Dammeier.
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