It’s Pride Month, and the celebration is ON! From Disney World, where you can snack on all manner of rainbow-hued sweet treats, to D.C. (snag a Mucho, Mucho Amor cocktail at El Tamarindo), to Wisconsin there are parades, parties, and of course, lots of tasty food and drink. One way turophiles can show up for this community is by supporting queer-owned food and beverage businesses. Read more here.

• The Guild of Fine Food has announced that the 2022 World Cheese Awards will be held in Wales, November 1-4. According to the press release: “As you will almost certainly be aware, we should be in Kyiv in November this year. [We] will be working hard to ensure that our support for the cheesemakers of Ukraine is continued this year and beyond. It is a postponement, rather than a cancellation.”
• Crown Finish Caves, which aged as many as 28,000 wheels at a time in former beer fermenting tunnels 30 feet below the streets of Brooklyn, NY for the past eight years, is closing up shop. Crown Finish was currently aging cheese for FireFly Farms, Grafton Village Cheese Co., Roelli Cheese Haus, Old Chatham Creamery, and Sugar House Creamery, as well as cheeses from Italy and Spain.
• In honor of Pride Month, Utah’s Beehive Cheese is releasing Thai-Curious, a green curry spice-rubbed cheddar. Thai-Curious has a strong herbaceous aroma of basil and cilantro, and savory notes of garlic with a lingering spicy burn on the finish. Fifty percent of Thai-Curious sales will be donated to Encircle, a non-profit organization that supports Utah’s LGBTQ+ youth. 
• Mifroma, the Swiss company that brought us fondue in a box, has introduced the Grilling Raclette Kit, a limited-edition product that brings the alpine specialty to summer barbecues. Each kit comes with eight slices (7 ounces) of traditional raclette cheese and a “barbeclette grill pan” that can be used outdoors or indoors over the stove.
• Mr. & Mrs. Watson—a vegan food-tech company based in Amsterdam—is launching a plant-based gouda later this year. Made from fava beans, the wheels can be sliced at a deli counter. Read more here.
• Atalanta brand Celebrity Goat is debuting spreadable goat cheeses in three flavors—Original, Garlic & Herb, and Everything Bagel Spice. Made from 100-percent Canadian goat milk, the new line is designed to be an alternative to cream cheese.
• The Specialty Food Association announced that (included) will debut at the 2022 Summer Fancy Food Show. A membership collective of CPG companies led and mostly owned by Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian, and other CEOs of color, (included) is committed to amplifying BIPOC voices and brands in the specialty food industry, and will have a pavilion comprised of 10 brands at the show. Learn more here.
• Paris Brothers, Inc. has recalled some lot codes of its cheese products that may be contaminated with listeria, according to Thrillist. The brands are: Cottonwood River Cheddar, D’amir Brie Double Créme French Brie, Milton Prairie Breeze White Cheddar Style, Milton Tomato Garlic Cheddar, Paris Brothers Mild Cheddar, Paris Brothers Colby Jack, Paris Brothers Pepper Jack, and Cervasi Pecorino Romano.
• Did you catch singer-songwriter Ben Lapidus in his recent audition on America’s Got Talent? Simon and Howie were quick to hit their buzzers during his song set in an Italian restaurant. To see how the crowd-favorite singer won them over, you’ll have to watch the YouTube video, but we warn you, you won’t be able to get “I always want more parmesan, but I’m embarrassed” out of your head! Watch it here.
• The UK wants to get more of its cheeses into Canada, but during the first round of talks in the UK-Canada trade deal, the Canadians made it clear that a larger quota for British cheese was not on the negotiating table. 
• Through June 30, entries will be open for the Good Food Awards, which recognize American food and drink makers who are dedicated to excellence in taste, sustainability, and social responsibility. BIPOC-identifying crafters can receive one complimentary entry with feedback ($97 value) by emailing here.
• Moon Cheese has introduced crunchy cheese sticks in five flavors, which are the only shelf-stable cheese stick or puff snack made from 100-percent real cheese.

Susan Axelrod

Susan Sherrill Axelrod is a former editor of Culture. Her love affair with cheese began at age 12, when she bicycled to a gourmet shop to taste an exotic newcomer—French brie. She lives with her partner in midcoast Maine, where she enjoys a well-made cocktail, hiking with their dog, Lucy, and spending as much time as possible on the water.