Just like craft beers and homemade pickles, the artisanal cheese making business is on the rise. Utah is trying to make its mark in the artisanal cheese industry, with the first ever Utah Cheese Awards.
Steve Jerman decided to start the awards after working at Rockhill Creamery in Richmond, Utah.
“Had a lot of it last year working at Rockhill Creamery, a little of it adds so much of it to your day, and it has got some mystery to it. If you see it being made it’s a process, and it’s just a fascinating thing that it’s not super in anybody’s face but it’s there and it’s timeless,” Jerman said.
At Caputo’s Deli in Salt Lake City, three judges tasted over 50 cheeses as well as traditional cheese accompaniments such as bread, jams and salami. The Utah Dairy Council provided funding to help start the awards, considering the cost of making cheese is quite high and very labor intensive.
“We touched and cleaned every wheel of cheese twice a week, so you can imagine a cheese that is six to eight months old has been touched more than any product that I know of. I didn’t know of any product that you would actually care for that much” he said.
If you would like to meet the cheese makers who created the winning cheeses, and taste many others along with relishes and charcuteries, you can attend the first annual Utah Cheese Expo on October 28th at Church and State in Salt Lake City.
