Photo of Glenn Harrell, owner of Say Cheese, sourced from David Kind
Note: This list was originally posted in June of 2020, we have updated the list to include new organizations and businesses to support.
Food has always been political. Now is the time for culture, and anyone with a major platform, to speak on the issue of police brutality and all other forms of systemic racism in this country.
In light of recent events, members of our community have requested a list of Black cheesemakers and Black-owned food businesses to support. This brings glaring issues of systemic racism within the cheese community to the forefront: For generations, Black folks in the food industry have been doing a lot of the work and getting very little of the credit—as a result, the list of Black cheesemakers, food producers, and Black-owned cheese shops we’ve collected is smaller than it should be.
We all have lots of work to do in supporting the existing community and using our privilege to amplify the minority community in the cheese world. We can do this by getting educated and helping to support communities actively fighting for change, like the National Black Food & Justice Alliance and Black Food Folks. Consider supporting the makers and shops below, and don’t hesitate to reach out to us for suggestions on businesses we can add to this list. Let’s work toward a more equitable future together.
Organizations
Cheese Shops
Say Cheese — Los Angeles, CA
Drinks
Accompaniments
Mother’s Finest Family Urban Farms
Ice Cream
Creme and Cocoa — Brooklyn, NY
Strafford Creamery — Vermont
So Creamalicious—Atlanta
Additionally, consider buying from local Black-owned farms and food gardens across the country. Check out this website for a state-by-state list.
Monica Petrucci
Monica is Culture's former Social Media Editor. Coming from a formaggio-obsessed Italian family, she was very excited to combine her passions for cheese and writing at Culture. She loves experimenting in the kitchen and pairing wine and cheese in her spare time.
