inStorebuyer - September 2011 - 47

cheesecorner
INNOVATIONS IN DELI CHEESE

cheesemakers since the programs inception. Because Chalet operates as a cooperative, Olson is hired as manager yearly. “All I’ve got to do is hire other good cheesemakers, produce the cheese, make certain the cheese is of quality, find buyers for our product, get the cheese out and get a good return to the farmers. Every year we have our annual meeting and if I did a good job they hire me back,” Olson says. The history tells the story of the job Olson has done. He has been at Chalet for 42 years and took over as manager in 1991. Chalet uses only whole milk, all

of which comes from the farmers who own the cooperative. The makeup of the milk is 75% from Holstein cows and 25% from Brown Swiss cows. “We feel that with that blend it’s a little creamier,” says Olson. Chalet’s longevity and success can be attributed to it’s dedication to quality products and customer service. While many producers have been using technology and automation for years, Chalet sticks to the way they have always done things, the artisan way. Rolling the cheese in salt by hand may take longer, but it ensures the quality and reassures the cheesemaker that he has made the cheese up to standard.

Chalet is also accustomed to making adjustments to its production according to customer requests. If the size, shape and weight of the cheese are difficult for a customer to cut and sell, Chalet will work with the customer to get a product that is right for them. Some customers prefer smaller wheels, some prefer blocks instead of wheels and some request the eyes of Swiss and baby Swiss be a certain size. Chalet communicates with its customers and understands that it’s easier if the product is a certain size, shape and weight. “You’ve got to listen to what your customers are saying,” says Olson. BOB SIMS

cheesespotlight
INNOVATIONS IN DELI CHEESE

And The Winner Is...
The American Cheese Society held its 28th Annual Conference and 27th Annual Judging & Competition this year at the Palais des congrès in Montréal, Québec, Canada from August 3-6. It’s the first time the event has been held outside The United States. More than 750 individuals attended the 2011 conference and the Judging & Competition saw a record number of entries: 1,676 cheeses and cultured milk products from 258 different companies in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Best in show honors went to Rogue River Blue from Rogue Creamery in Central Point, OR. This is the second Best of Show win for Rogue River Blue. The five pound wheels are hand-made and aged in specially-constructed caves. The cheese ripens from naturally occurring molds found in the Rogue River Valley. After maturation, the cheese is wrapped in Syrah grape leaves from Carpenter Hill Vineyard which have been macerated in Clear Creek pear brandy and tied to the wheel with raffia. The cheese is released annually starting in September. Finica Food Specialties Limited in Ontario and Carr Valley Cheese Co. in Wisconsin tied for 2nd Place. Finica’s Lindsay Bandaged Goat Cheddar, produced by Mariposa Dairy, and Carr Valley’s Cave Aged Marisa. Québec’s Fromagerie Du Presbytère took 3rd place for its Louis d’Or. The 29th Annual Conference and 28th Annual Judging & Competition will take place in Raleigh, North Carolina from August 1-3, 2012.
| inStorebuyer | September2011 | 47 |

inStorebuyer - September 2011

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of inStorebuyer - September 2011