Christmas came early to cheese lovers in Toledo, Ohio: following the successful revival of their beloved cheese tradition last year, local supermarket chain The Andersons kicked off the holiday season with another giant wheel of cheddar. And—as if they weren’t already playing Go Big or Go Home last year with their 3,200 pound wheel—they went even bigger this time around. On November 14, cheese fans eagerly gathered to witness the slicing of a whopping 4,800 pounds of cheddar.
The wheel was made by Henning’s Wisconsin Cheese of Kiel, Wis. It’ll sell for $4.99 a pound, and those pounds go fast. Last year’s wheel only took two days to completely sell out.
Photo Credit: The Blade / Andy Morrison
The Andersons’ new role in the Toledo holiday festivities is a throwback to the time of Tiedtke’s, a much-loved department store that closed in 1972. Until their closing, Tiedtke’s was responsible for the ginormous holiday cheese wheel. Nostalgia brought many customers back for the resurrection of the tradition last year, and The Andersons did not disappoint
Tiedtke’s 1955 wheel
Photo Credit: toledoblade.com
In the wise words of John Robinson Block, publisher and editor-in-chief of The Toledo Blade, “Toledoans’ fond memories of the city’s past don’t have to stay in the past—they can become part of its present and future.”
Featured Photo Credit: The Andersons
Sarah Cummings
Sarah Cummings is a native New Yorker braving the Boston winters to study Writing, Literature, and Publishing at Emerson College. In her spare time, she can often be found rock climbing, cuddling the neighborhood cats, or integrating goat cheese into her every meal.
