How to Pass Down a Cheese Business
Case studies in how retiring dairy pioneers keep their cheese legacy alive A scene from Uplands Cheese’s farm in the Driftless region of Wisconsin. Photographed by Kevin J. Miyazaki. Early pioneers in the American cheese industry—which exploded between the 1980s and 1990s—are reaching retirement age. As with many small businesses, it’s not nearly as simple […]
Cheesemaking Tradition Meets Innovation in the Azores
In the Azores, find happy cows and volcanic soils Grazing cows in the countryside of Sao Jorge Island in the Azores. Photo: AdobeStock. Nine windswept volcanic islands sit precariously where the Eurasian, African, and American plates meet. As these plates slowly moved apart over time, rifts formed, creating the volcanoes that shaped each of the […]
Meet Lucy Cufflin, a Founder of London’s Chiswick Cheese Market
Imagine planning a visit to London and learning that there is a monthly outdoor market entirely dedicated to cheese. On a scale from immediately to yesterday, how quickly would you prioritize the pilgrimage?
Taking place monthly on every third Sunday in a London borough named for its cheese, the Chiswick Cheese Market doesn’t just have its finger on the pulse of the British cheese industry—it is the pulse of the British cheese industry.
“I was born loving cheese,” says Lucy Cufflin, one of Chiswick Cheese Market’s founders and a chef and caterer by profession. “I have no idea why … I think some people just are.”
The Chiswick Cheese Market is a labor of love for Cufflin and the volunteers who operate it. Officially founded in 2021, the market is quickly approaching its fifth anniversary and shows no signs of slowing.
We recently caught up with Cufflin to talk about the importance of providing a forum for the artisan cheese industry, educating consumers about good-quality cheese, and supporting the next generation of cheesemakers.
Finding Meaning in a Cheese Club
Hannah Gershowitz reflects on cheese and community I’ve never done anything traditionally. I moved and changed schools often, so I didn’t hold onto friends or hobbies for long. I regularly struggled with a lack of belonging and community, and graduating college during the pandemic didn’t help. So, I took an unnerving leap and moved back […]
What it Takes to be a Competitive Cheesemonger
A conversation with three power mongers on their experiences in the competitive cheesemongering ring Sarah Simiele triumphantly raises the Cheesemonger Invitational trophy after winning the 2023 competition. Photo by Kathryn M. Sheldon. Sarah Simiele, Emilia D’Albero, and Courtney Johnson are competitive cheesemongers. Simiele won the Cheesemonger Invitational (CMI) in 2023. D’Albero won the virtual CMI: […]
Q & A with Ted Dennard, Founder & CEO of Savannah Bee Company
Ted Dennard on raw honey, mead, and, of course, cheese Ted Dennard of Savannah Bee Company wasn’t necessarily a man with a mission when he started beekeeping. “I was sort of a hippie guy, not a business guy. I studied philosophy and religion,” he says. Things changed in 1999, when people started calling and requesting […]
The Weary Blues
On Black fatigue In the years I’ve been writing this column I don’t think I’ve ever written my original idea. This piece is no different. My plan was to write about my first time judging at the American Cheese Society’s Judging & Competition in Minneapolis. I wanted to tell you all about how a friend […]
Mountain Cotija: Mexico’s Endangered Heritage Cheese Faces an Uncertain Future
As the future of Mexico’s only aged cheese becomes increasingly uncertain, producers, advocates, and researchers seek to preserve its flavor and history. Mountain Cotija’s character and production is defined by the the Sierra Jalmich region’s landscape. Mountain cotija is aged for at least three months. There’s a cheese made high in the mountains, where cows […]
Marieke Penterman Is Putting Wisconsin Gouda on the Map
Marieke Penterman is impossible to miss—she’s got the kind of presence that commands a room, much like the gouda she makes. Born and raised on a dairy farm in the Netherlands, she grew up surrounded by cows and the daily rhythm of farm life. But it wasn’t until she landed in Wisconsin with her then-husband, […]
The Case for the “Indie Cheese” Category
Like indie music and films, the indie cheese category is about independence and a defiant or necessary DIY spirit. Here, cheesemakers turn their backs on the mass market and focus instead on crafting cheeses with an unfiltered spark. This category name occurred to me when I was working with a cheese brand that felt “artisan,” […]
