Supermarket Perimeter - May 2019 - 46

Deli

Cheese
BY ANDY NELSON

U.S. cheesemakers gear up
for IDDBA with new products

46 - MAY 2019

well with everything," she says.
Toma is a great melting cheese
and goes well on pizzas, vegetables, burgers, paninis, quesadillas
and many other foods, she says.
"People want versatility, convenience and to cook more foods
where the cheese is the protein."
In 2018, Point Reyes added a
second production plant to handle increased demand for Toma,
and the company will be highlighting the cheese at IDDBA June
2-4 in Orlando.
New in 2019 are three ﬂavored
versions of Toma that will be
targeted for the fall and winter
holiday season, Giacomini Stray
says. "Retailers are looking for

something special and new
to introduce at the holidays,"
she says.
The ﬁrst ﬂavored Toma is
Japanese-themed and includes
chili, ginger, sesame and other spices.
Giacomini Stray says it's hot
without being too hot. "It's very
different - not the typical pepperjack or other spicy cheese,"
she says. "It's a nice heat without
being overpowering. It still tastes
like cheese."
The new Provence Toma is
targeted for Thanksgiving and is
perfect with roast chicken and
potatoes and other hearty holiday
fare, Giacomini Stray says.
The third variation on Roma,
Truffle, is what Giacomini Stray
characterizes as a "classic" ﬂavor
that will roll out in September.
Available in both wheel and
exact weight wedge formats, the
three new Tomas were introduced to the industry via soft
launch at the Winter Fancy Food
Show in San Francisco, Giacomini
Stray says.
Toma is the winner of a number
of awards, including three in 2017:
World Cheese Awards in London
(bronze), American Cheese
Society, Farmstead (1st) and the
California State Fair (gold).
With its Toma and other cheeses, Point Reyes is shipping more
exact-weight wedges, Giacomini
Stray says. "Traditionally we're

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more whole-wheel, but more
groceries want to do specialty
cheeses but they don't have the
capability" of having someone
who can cut cheeses instore,
she says.

Centennial celebration
includes new products
from Rumiano
Crescent City, California-based
Rumiano Cheese Co. is celebrating its centennial in 2019, and the
company has plenty in store for
the year, says CEO Joe Baird.
"Tradition and innovation have
been imperative threads woven
throughout our rich 100-year
history, and we look forward to
highlighting both of these through
new products and commitments,"
he says.
In particular, Baird says,
Rumiano is proud of the recent
launch of its Rumiano Organic
Grated and Shredded Cups. The
convenient, classic Italian cheeses
come in two ﬂavors: Parmesan
and Romano.
Rumiano also has gotten great
responses to its newer Redwood
Coast line of cheese. "People love
the rich ﬂavor of Sriracha Jack,
and we're excited to be releasing
two more ﬂavors of these amazing, nutrient-rich North Coast
Cheeses," Baird says.
Historically, Rumiano has
always done a great job on
spicy cheeses, he says. Now the

POINT REYES, RUMIANO

AS THE ANNUAL IDDBA SHOW
APPROACHES, specialty cheesemakers are ramping up their programs to show off the latest and
greatest offerings to their current
- and future - customers.
Point Reyes, California-based
Point Reyes Farmstead, known for
its blue cheeses, is rolling out new
variation on its Point Reyes Toma,
a table cheese.
The Toma is a versatile, all-day
cheese suitable for a variety of
applications, says Lynn Giacomini
Stray, Point Reyes' co-founder and
chief operating officer. The semihard Toma features buttery ﬂavor
up front and a grassy, tangy ﬁnish
and is so well-balanced it "goes

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Supermarket Perimeter - May 2019

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