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Gourmet Food

Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company Tops Blue Veined Cheeses

The week brought back the biennial World Championship Cheese Contest, held in Madison, Wis. Bay Blue from Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company won its category, blue veined cheeses with exterior molding, with a top score of 99.55.

A total of 25 countries and 32 U.S. states were represented in the 2024 contest. With an impressive 84 Best of Class finishes, American cheesemakers earned the highest number of gold medals.

This year, 3,302 entries from around the world competed across 142 categories. From March 5-7, a team of 53 internationally renowned dairy experts from 19 nations evaluated cheese, butter and yogurt through visual inspection and sensory evaluation.

“We are thrilled with Bay Blue’s first place award at the World Competition,” said Kuba Hemmerling, VP of operations at Point Reyes Farmstead. “Bay Blue
has long been a favorite of cheese lovers –to still be receiving accolades from this esteemed group of critical judges is just awesome.”

Connie Concon, national sales director said, “Our customers have known for years what a special cheese Bay Blue is, enjoying its beautiful natural rind and fudgy texture along with its delicately balanced flavor of savory and sweet. This cheese deserves every award it receives!”

The World Championship Cheese Contest, initiated in 1957, is the largest technical cheese, butter and yogurt competition in the world. For more information, including complete results for all entry classes, visit WorldChampionCheese.org.

In 1959, Bob and Dean Giacomini established their dairy farm just north of Point Reyes Station in Marin County, Calif. In 2000, together with their daughters, the family began making hand-crafted cheese on the farm with milk from their own herd of Holsteins.

In 2010, now WBENC certified Women-Owned by sisters Diana, Lynn and Jill, they opened The Fork, a culinary and educational center offering farm-to-table educational experiences for both consumers and the trade. In 2018, the company expanded to Petaluma, with the opening of a second creamery, warehouse and distribution center.

The Point Reyes product line consisting of Toma, TomaTruffle, TomaProvence, TomaRashi, Bay Blue, Gouda, Quinta and Original Blue, is available nationally at independent cheese shops and specialty grocers, at the Fork, Bay Area farmers’ markets and online at www.pointreyescheese.com.

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Lindt Creates Gold Bunny Getaway, Holds Sweepstakes

In celebration of Easter, Lindt & Sprüngli (USA) Inc. has unveiled its first Gold Bunny-inspired property rental, coined the Lindt Gold Bunny Getaway.

A once-in-a-lifetime experience, Lindt is inviting chocolate fans to enter for a chance to stay at the getaway, a festively decked out seaside home in Carlsbad, California, curated with bunny-themed and gold decor; stocked with all the ear-resistibly delicious Lindt chocolate you need to celebrate the season.

The Lindt Gold Bunny was lovingly crafted more than 70 years ago on Easter when a little girl spotted a bunny in the grass during an Easter brunch before it hopped away. Heartbroken, her father, a Lindt master chocolatier, crafted a chocolate bunny to cheer her up – and from there, the tradition of searching for and finding a Lindt Gold Bunny on Easter was born.

Today, the Gold Bunny has become a true Easter icon, a tradition that’s passed down from generation to generation. It features Lindt’s finest chocolate wrapped in gold foil with a distinct red ribbon and represents the sweet memories of childhood.

New to the lineup this year are two new filled Gold Bunny varieties: Double Milk and Crispy Hazelnuts. Available in individually wrapped filled pieces in a bag, this playful new format is ideal for livening up your egg hunts as the pieces fit inside a plastic egg. With chocolate known for its irresistible taste, smoothness, and creamy texture, Lindt proves once again that there is no magical Easter without Gold Bunny.

“Easter is a moment for families and friends to not only share traditions, but create new memories centered around special moments,” said Ann Czaja, Lindt maître chocolatier. “Our chocolate Gold Bunny perfectly symbolizes that and with the Lindt Gold Bunny Getaway, we hope to make those memories and traditions even sweeter for one lucky family.”

The beachside rental will be open for one weekend only: Easter weekend, March 29-31. Sweepstakes entries for the exclusive experience will be accepted through March 12 at 11:59 p.m. ET, with the winner announced March 13. For full details on the prize package, including a $1,500 cash prize to go toward travel costs, hop on over to LindtGOLDBUNNYGetaway.com to learn more and enter for a chance to win today.

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Bubbies Kosher Dill Pickle Popsicles Perk Up Summer

What’s a summer snack that will impress guests at a party, wow on social media, taste great and hydrate during the dog days of summer? Pickle popsicles.
Bubbies Fine Foods – the fermented and pickle queen – has developed a summer sun-sational two-ingredient popsicle recipe. The recipe can be zhuzhed up for adults with your favorite hot sauce, spices (we like turmeric and garlic powder,) and even spirits like tequila and vodka.
You’ll find this surprisingly tasty and a must-try for pickle lovers. Bubbies test kitchen chefs created this based on the fact that people swig cold, refreshing pickle brine juice straight from the jar – especially in summer and post-workout!

Bubbies Dill Pickle Popsicles

Ingredients:

1 cup sliced Bubbies Kosher Dill Pickles (approximately 4 medium sized pickles)
1 cup Bubbies Kosher Dill Pickle juice

Optional flavors:

1 tsp of your favorite hot sauce
Dash of black pepper
Dash of garlic powder
Dash of turmeric

Other fun additions:

Dried or fresh dill
Dried ground mustard
Honey or agave syrup, for a mild sweetness*
Spirits, such as vodka or tequila*

Instructions:

Slice the dill pickles and add them to a blender (or food processor). Add the dill pickle brine, hot sauce and spices.

Set your blender to liquefy, and blend until pickles are broken up, and the consistency of the mix is similar to a smoothie. Pour into your popsicle molds, and freeze for 6 hours or overnight. 

Pop those pops out, and enjoy!

* adding a small amount of alcohol or sugar will soften the popsicles if you find them too hard.

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