Memo: To all my 'cheese - y' friends in Delavan - I'M HOME! AND ... contrary to my earlier assertion, my head did not explode. :)
However I am putting myself on a low-cheese diet this week. Whew, what a marathon!
So we arrived on Wednesday, and girded our loins, only eating a light dinner of ... wait for it --
Macaroni & Cheese at Beecher's Cheese!
Thursday brought us face to face with breakfast and cheese platters at each table sponsored by the Vermont Cheesemakers. Then we were entertained by an opening presentation on the topic of Consumers: What's going on in your minds? We learned of trends, lifestyles, and what we might expect from you, our customers in the coming year. I'll let you know how you make out.
This presentation concluded, and the doors opened and the crowd flowed out to be faced with a networking and cheese sampling sponsored by Forever Cheese! Taste, Taste, talk, talk, talk. Then on to the next session.
Cheesemakers went to cheesemaking panels, retailers (myself) went to retailer panels, distributors ... well, you get the picture. And then, it was LUNCH TIME! And, you guessed it, more cheese - this time sponsored by distributor Zuercher & Sons, of Chicago.
The afternoon arrived with very relevant topics like Marketing in the age of Twitter, or American Cheese and Beer Pairing! And then, again break out sessions for more talk, talk, talk, and taste, taste, taste - this time sponsored by Belgioso Cheese from Denmark WI. My favorite there? The burrata scooped onto a small scoop - y leaf of romaine lettuce. Burrata is a wonderful ovaline of mozzarella with gooshy, squishy mozzerella curdiness inside! When you cut it open, it just flows out! Wow that was good!
Another round of panel discussions like "How to taste cheese" (?!! - Really!) and then it was on to a Meet The Cheesemaker Event - with, you guessed it, more cheese! Woo Hoo!
I loved this because I got to meet Marieke and Rolf Pentermann, of Chilton, WI - the makers of Marieke Goudas! Unless you haven't been in a cheese store in WI, you will probably have experienced any number of their sublimely delicious goudas! Life is full of ironies as you well know, and it hasn't escaped me that I met Marieke and Rolf for the first time - not in our home state, but in Seattle, WA. The universe is a funny place folks!
Anyway, that pretty much finished up our first big day! Stay tuned this week for further tales of 'cheese-ing' !
Next - the Cheeseman cometh!
Laura
