Gourmet News

Cheese Society Gives Awards, Revives Meet the Cheesemaker at Annual Convention

Published July 22, 2022

Rogue Creamery cheese at the American Cheese Society convention

Rogue Creamery’s famous blue cheeses

Seventeen years ago, David Gremmels, owner of Rogue Creamery, proposed that the American Cheese Society create a Lifetime Achievement Award.

The ACS Lifetime Achievement Award was created in 2006 by the American Cheese Society board of directors to honor those whose professional accomplishments have made a significant and lasting impact in the American cheese industry, and whose life and character have earned the respect and admiration of their professional colleagues.

Today, Gremmels (aka “Mr. Blue” for Rogue’s famous blue cheese) and Paula Lambert of Mozzarella Co., received Lifetime Achievement Awards at the ACS conference in Portland, Ore. Both had positive messages to send to peers and newcomers.

“Please join me in trying to make a positive impact in all that we do,” Gremmels said, “and make it safe, healthy, positive and other centered.”

Lambert joined the ceremony via video, as she was isolating in Dallas after contracting COVID. Lambert was hailed as a pioneer in artisanal cheesemaking and mentor to numerous cheesemakers.

“I’m thrilled beyond words,” Lambert said. “Keep a positive attitude and don’t give up.”

Michele Haram of Cypress Grove was given the Above & Beyond Award for her dedication to volunteerism.

Meritorious Service Awards were given posthumously to Anne Saxelby of Saxelby Cheesemongers and Patrick Polowsky, who created the Cheese Science Toolkit.

There was cheese to eat and hugs to give at the ACS Meet the Cheesemaker event.

The most popular event at the annual American Cheese Society convention, Meet the Cheesemaker, returned, with hundreds of attendees flocking to a conference room in the Oregon Convention Center to taste all the cheeses and accompaniments offered by members.

For more coverage of the American Cheese Society Convention and other specialty food industry events, subscribe to Gourmet News.

Whitney From Cellars at Jasper Hill Wins Best in Show at Specialty Cheese Show

Published July 21, 2022

Whitney, a Raclette-style raw milk cheese from Vermont’s Cellars at Jasper Hill won Best in Show for specialty cheese at the American Cheese Society’s annual awards.

“Behind every great cheese is a community of people,” an overwhelmed Jasper Hill co-founder, Matteo Kehler, said in a ceremony held during the ACS convention in Portland, Ore. “What we’re trying to build is an agriculture-supported community. Not a CSA, but an ASC.

“At the root of this effort is delicious cheese. It’s the vehicle. It’s reflective of this point in the industry for us and it’s an epic opportunity to push the boundaries and win new consumers,” said Kehler, who founded the creamery with his brother, Andy.

“When you win new consumers for specialty cheese, we all win and we win together,” he said.

Whitney is a Jasper Hill Creamery original, according to the company’s website, inspired by the classic, mid-elevation mountain cheeses of Europe. At Jasper Hill, people are the main ingredient; this stoic, reliable cheese pays homage to Jasper Hill’s longest-standing employee: the steadfast Tim Whitney.

Bamboozle, a washed-rind goat and cow’s milk cheese from Goat Rodeo Farm & Dairy in Pennsylvania, and Flagsheep, a cloth-bound and open-air aged sheep’s milk cheese from Beecher’s Handmade Cheese in Washington, tied for second place.

Greensward, a cow’s milk washed-rind cheese from Murray’s Cheese of New York, took third place.

For more specialty cheese awards from the ACS convention and other coverage, get the September issue of Gourmet News. So you don’t miss anything, subscribe now!

Spending Habits: Americans Reluctant to Sacrifice Dining Out, Vacations, Streaming

Published July 15, 2022

A new survey conducted by HomeServe dug into the specifics of how Americans have adjusted spending habits due to higher prices on everything from groceries and gas to entertainment and education.

An overwhelming 82 percent said that inflation is affecting their household budget. When asked what area of their budget is being most impacted, the top three were groceries, gas and utilities.

Respondents are also putting off purchases due to inflationary pressures, with home furniture and household items (52 percent), vacation (47 percent) and a new or used car (37 percent) topping the list.

To determine what spending Americans most prioritize, the survey asked respondents what things, despite higher prices, would they be least willing to give up. Dining out topped the list (49 percent), followed by streaming TV (47 percent) and vacation (45 percent).

Fido and fitness might suffer, though, because the two things they were most willing to give up included regular pet grooming (16 percent) followed by club/golf/pool membership (18 percent).

When it comes to having the funds to cover a home repair emergency, over one-third (36 percent) of homeowners said they have $500 or less – or even no money – set aside to pay for a repair. Almost 15 percent have absolutely nothing set aside, putting these individuals in a vulnerable position when the inevitable home repair emergency arises.

These numbers are consistent with previous State of the Home surveys conducted by HomeServe. The percentage of homeowners with no money set aside was 13 percent in both Summer 2021 and Fall 2020 editions and was 17 percent in May 2020 and October 2019.

While Americans are seeing higher prices across the board, one thing that remains the same is that home repair emergencies are an unfortunate reality, especially during the pandemic with people spending more time in their homes.

In all, 50 percent of respondents said they had an emergency repair in the past two years that they’ve had to hire a contractor to complete. HVAC emergencies topped the list with 28 percent of respondents saying this important home system needed to be repaired or replaced over the past 12 months.

To learn more about the survey, visit https://www.homeserve.com/en-us/media/americans-least-willing-to-give-up-dining-out-streaming-tv-and-vacation-to-save-money/. This survey was conducted June 3-6, by HomeServe, using SurveyMonkey Audience.

HomeServe’s survey received 1,699 responses from adults in the U.S. age 18 and older, of which 1,500 were homeowners. The sample of respondents was balanced by gender and region. For more on the SurveyMonkey Audience panel, please visit: https://www.surveymonkey.com/market-research/data-quality/.

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