Gourmet News

Whitney From Cellars at Jasper Hill Wins Best in Show at Specialty Cheese Show

Published July 21, 2022

Whitney, a Raclette-style raw milk cheese from Vermont’s Cellars at Jasper Hill won Best in Show for specialty cheese at the American Cheese Society’s annual awards.

“Behind every great cheese is a community of people,” an overwhelmed Jasper Hill co-founder, Matteo Kehler, said in a ceremony held during the ACS convention in Portland, Ore. “What we’re trying to build is an agriculture-supported community. Not a CSA, but an ASC.

“At the root of this effort is delicious cheese. It’s the vehicle. It’s reflective of this point in the industry for us and it’s an epic opportunity to push the boundaries and win new consumers,” said Kehler, who founded the creamery with his brother, Andy.

“When you win new consumers for specialty cheese, we all win and we win together,” he said.

Whitney is a Jasper Hill Creamery original, according to the company’s website, inspired by the classic, mid-elevation mountain cheeses of Europe. At Jasper Hill, people are the main ingredient; this stoic, reliable cheese pays homage to Jasper Hill’s longest-standing employee: the steadfast Tim Whitney.

Bamboozle, a washed-rind goat and cow’s milk cheese from Goat Rodeo Farm & Dairy in Pennsylvania, and Flagsheep, a cloth-bound and open-air aged sheep’s milk cheese from Beecher’s Handmade Cheese in Washington, tied for second place.

Greensward, a cow’s milk washed-rind cheese from Murray’s Cheese of New York, took third place.

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Spending Habits: Americans Reluctant to Sacrifice Dining Out, Vacations, Streaming

Published July 15, 2022

A new survey conducted by HomeServe dug into the specifics of how Americans have adjusted spending habits due to higher prices on everything from groceries and gas to entertainment and education.

An overwhelming 82 percent said that inflation is affecting their household budget. When asked what area of their budget is being most impacted, the top three were groceries, gas and utilities.

Respondents are also putting off purchases due to inflationary pressures, with home furniture and household items (52 percent), vacation (47 percent) and a new or used car (37 percent) topping the list.

To determine what spending Americans most prioritize, the survey asked respondents what things, despite higher prices, would they be least willing to give up. Dining out topped the list (49 percent), followed by streaming TV (47 percent) and vacation (45 percent).

Fido and fitness might suffer, though, because the two things they were most willing to give up included regular pet grooming (16 percent) followed by club/golf/pool membership (18 percent).

When it comes to having the funds to cover a home repair emergency, over one-third (36 percent) of homeowners said they have $500 or less – or even no money – set aside to pay for a repair. Almost 15 percent have absolutely nothing set aside, putting these individuals in a vulnerable position when the inevitable home repair emergency arises.

These numbers are consistent with previous State of the Home surveys conducted by HomeServe. The percentage of homeowners with no money set aside was 13 percent in both Summer 2021 and Fall 2020 editions and was 17 percent in May 2020 and October 2019.

While Americans are seeing higher prices across the board, one thing that remains the same is that home repair emergencies are an unfortunate reality, especially during the pandemic with people spending more time in their homes.

In all, 50 percent of respondents said they had an emergency repair in the past two years that they’ve had to hire a contractor to complete. HVAC emergencies topped the list with 28 percent of respondents saying this important home system needed to be repaired or replaced over the past 12 months.

To learn more about the survey, visit https://www.homeserve.com/en-us/media/americans-least-willing-to-give-up-dining-out-streaming-tv-and-vacation-to-save-money/. This survey was conducted June 3-6, by HomeServe, using SurveyMonkey Audience.

HomeServe’s survey received 1,699 responses from adults in the U.S. age 18 and older, of which 1,500 were homeowners. The sample of respondents was balanced by gender and region. For more on the SurveyMonkey Audience panel, please visit: https://www.surveymonkey.com/market-research/data-quality/.

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Bobbie Organic Infant Formula Launches in Target Nationwide

Published July 13, 2022

Bobbie, the American-founded, European-style USDA Organic infant formula, is launching exclusively at Target. Just 18 months after launching as the first direct-to-consumer infant formula brand, Bobbie will be available at the majority of Target stores across the country and on Target.com within the next several weeks.

As an American-founded infant formula, Bobbie is USDA Organic, made with Organic Valley grass-fed milk, sourced from pasture-raised cows across 45 small, family-owned American farms that prioritize quality and sustainability. Bobbie prioritizes rigorous quality standards and unprecedented clean-certification as the first-ever infant formula to receive both the Clean Label Project Purity Award and certification as a Pesticide-Free product.

“As a mom first and a CEO second, I know firsthand there has never been a more critical time to get more infant formula on shelves,” said Laura Modi, CEO and co-founder of Bobbie, and mom of three. “Introducing a completely differentiated organic infant formula into the market is the near and long-term solution American families need and deserve. There’s nothing more important than making sure our babies are fed and nourished.”

Bobbie represents a new generation of formula that American parents have been demanding, holding itself to the highest standards while bringing peace of mind to U.S. families. As the infant formula shortage continues, Bobbie is proud to expand accessibility to shelves across the country, providing parents with an America-manufactured, organic European-style recipe. Bobbie’s new availability in Target is a long-term solution to the need for increased market diversification and high quality options in the U.S. infant formula industry.

Bobbie launched in January 2021, selling four times greater than forecasted in its first year, making it the fastest-growing infant formula in the United States since the 1980s. Bobbie is also available at www.hibobbie.com. Today, Bobbie’s subscription customer base is over 70,000, serving families in every state across the country; and since 2021, over 100,000 babies have relied on Bobbie for their essential daily nutrition. Bobbie is eager to nourish even more babies while continuing to build a parenting culture of confidence, not comparison, that supports all feeding journeys.

Offering a European-style, USDA Organic option that meets FDA requirements to retail shelves brings Bobbie back to its origin story with a new channel of discovery. Modi was inspired to start Bobbie after the birth of her first child when she found herself standing in the aisle of a store, holding a screaming infant, and fighting fever and chills brought on by mastitis. Disappointed with all the options before her, she was struck with a mother’s intuition that there had to be a better option – and so Bobbie was born.

Bobbie will be available in the majority of Target stores across the country and on Target.com beginning in July. Available in two sizes, featuring the original 14.1 oz can for $25.99 and a new 23.9 oz can for $41.99.

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