Gourmet News

Point Reyes Earns 11 Awards at California State Fair

Published April 5, 2024

The California State Fair unveiled the winners of the 2024 Commercial Cheese Competition, spotlighting outstanding artistry and the abundant variety within California’s artisan cheese making landscape. Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Co. was awarded an impressive 11 awards at this year’s competition. Notably, Toma, TomaRashi and Aged Gouda each received esteemed “Best in California” titles, a testament to the 24-year-old company’s continued commitment to excellence. In addition to the ‘Best in California’ awards, Original Blue, Bay Blue, CA Coastal, Fennel Blue, TomaTruffle and TomaProvence won Golds, while Point Reyes Brie and Young Gouda earned Silver Awards.

“How wonderful to be recognized by the CA State Fair with 11 awards across our product line!” exclaimed Kuba Hemmerling, VP of operations at Point Reyes. “Our cheese makers are laser-focused on quality and consistency, no matter if it is a new cheese we’ve just introduced like Fennel Blue, or a long-standing, fan favorite like Toma. I’m thrilled to share these honors with the team.”

A panel of 12 judges assessed more than 130 submissions, considering factors such as appearance, aroma, texture, and flavor. The event drew participation from 15 cheese manufacturers, ranging from small-scale artisans to larger producers. The awards ceremony is set for July 22nd, at the California State Fair, where these exceptional cheeses will be spotlighted in the California Kitchen Exhibit, Building B, from July 12–28th.

While Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Co. commemorates the accomplishments at the California State Fair, they remain steadfast in their commitment to preserving the principles of quality, sustainability, and community that have shaped their success over the past 24 years.

In 1959 Bob and Dean Giacomini established their sustainable dairy farm along Highway 1, just north of Point Reyes Station. In 2000, together with their daughters, the family began making cheese on the farm with milk from their own herd of Holsteins. In 2010, the family opened The Fork, a culinary and educational center, offering farm-to-table educational experiences for both consumers and the trade. Three of the Giacomini sisters, Diana, Lynn and Jill now own and run the WBENC-certified, 100 percent women-owned company that is recognized internationally as an award-winning producer of best-in-class, hand-crafted, artisan cheese.

With production locations on the farm and in nearby Petaluma, the Point Reyes Farmstead product line contains Original Blue, Bay Blue, Toma, TomaProvence, TomaTruffle, TomaRashi, Gouda, and Quinta. The product line is available nationally at independent cheese shops and specialty grocers, at The Fork, local-area farmers’ markets and online.

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Tillamook CEO Criteser to Step Down; Booth Named to Succeed Him

Published April 4, 2024

Patrick Criteser

Tillamook County Creamery Association President & CEO Patrick Criteser will step down later this year. The TCCA Board of Directors has selected David Booth, TCCA’s current EVP of brand growth & commercialization, to succeed Criteser as president & CEO, with Criteser’s endorsement, and in alignment with the organization’s long-standing succession plan.

Criteser has led the farmer-owned cooperative since 2012. Under his leadership, the beloved regional heritage brand has been transformed into one of the largest, most respected and fastest-growing dairy companies in the country.

“Our vision of becoming a premium, multi-category, national dairy brand has been realized, and the cooperative is optimally positioned to thrive well into the future,” said Criteser. “I have accomplished what I hoped to achieve for the farmer-owners of this amazing cooperative, so I’ve decided that the time is right for this transition. Serving in this role has been the greatest honor of my professional career, and I am absolutely certain that our board has chosen the right person to succeed me in David.”

David Booth

TCCA Chair of the Board Shannon Lourenzo said, “We are so grateful for Patrick’s incredible leadership these past 12 years. Today, we are a $1.3 billion business, and one in four American households buy Tillamook cheese, ice cream and other dairy products. But we’re just getting started. David is a very talented leader and is someone who is well-equipped to continue the cooperative’s growth, which will further strengthen our farmer-owners, create more jobs and advancement opportunities for our employees, and enable us to continue to positively impact the communities where we live and work.”

Lourenzo said Criteser will remain CEO until later this year, while Booth immediately assumes the role of President. Working closely with the TCCA board and executive leadership team, they will implement a thoughtful transition plan to ensure business continuity and success. Upon Criteser’s departure, Booth will move into the role of President & CEO.

Booth joined TCCA in 2015, and has built top-performing sales, marketing, and category growth teams, forged crucial partnerships with retailers nationwide, and crafted Tillamook’s impressive growth strategy. He has wide experience across the company, including having served as interim CFO on two occasions. He has nearly 30 years of executive experience, including 18 years at ConAgra Foods.

“This is an incredible opportunity to work with our farmer-owners who have built this company with a long-term outlook and a commitment to growing the right way,” said Booth. “We have extremely talented and committed employees in every function and location. Our strong culture and organizational momentum are here to stay, and they will enable us to reach even greater heights in the future.”

Founded in 1909 as a farmer-owned cooperative, Tillamook County Creamery Association is a Certified B Corporation and prides itself on its commitment to bringing to market the most consistent, best tasting, highest quality dairy products possible. Guided by the belief that everyone deserves real food that makes them feel good every day, Tillamook’s internationally recognized, award-winning cheese, as well as exceptional ice cream, butter, cream cheese spreads, yogurt, sour cream, and frozen meals, are made with unwavering values that never sacrifice or compromise quality for profit. TCCA is owned by a group of farming families, primarily based in Tillamook County.

TCCA operates production facilities in Tillamook and Boardman, Ore., and employs more than 1,100. The Tillamook Creamery is the largest tourist attraction on the coast of Oregon and one of the most popular in the state, attracting more than one million visitors each year. For more information on TCCA and Tillamook, visit Tillamook.com.

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Uber Eats, Waymo Team for Autonomous Deliveries in Phoenix

Published April 4, 2024

Building on the success of a partnership with Waymo providing autonomous rides in Phoenix, Uber Eats has launched deliveries via Waymo vehicles.

Uber Eats consumers in Tempe, Mesa, and Chandler may have their orders delivered by an autonomous vehicle. Uber and Waymo are working with select merchants in the area, including local favorites Princess Pita, Filiberto’s and BoSa Donuts.

An Uber Eats user matching with a Waymo vehicle as its delivery car.

Here’s how it works:

When placing an order in Phoenix where the service is available, customers will see a prompt in the Uber Eats app that says “Autonomous vehicles may deliver your order.”
Customers will be given the opportunity to opt-out at checkout if they prefer to have items delivered by a courier.
When the autonomous vehicle arrives, customers will receive an in-app notification to take a phone to unlock the vehicle and collect the items.

The addition of food delivery to Uber’s ongoing partnership with Waymo reflects both companies’ mission to encourage zero-emission trips and unlock greater innovation for consumers and merchants in Phoenix and beyond.

The fully autonomous Waymo vehicles drive within a 225+ square mile Metro Phoenix service area.

Metro Phoenix is the world’s largest autonomous vehicle service area. To start, Waymo will work with select merchants in Chandler, Tempe and Mesa.

Since launching the Metro Phoenix ride-hailing partnership with Uber, Waymo has powered tens of thousands of trips on Uber through the Waymo Driver and its autonomous driving technology.

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