Belle Chevre, a tiny, but internationally-acclaimed artisan goat cheese creamery in Alabama, has gotten a brand makeover. This summer the company unveiled a new logo and packaging as well as a completely revamped website, www.bellechevre.com. The all-new packaging will soon be seen at upscale retailers including Dean and Deluca and the Cheese Store of Beverly Hills as well as in larger outlet carriers like Whole Foods Market.
The new look, created by The Morrison Agency, a branding agency in Atlanta, features a modern font, bright colors and whimsical art featuring Stella, the company mascot. The look and the tone of the campaign is “fun and approachable” says Tasia Malakasis, Belle Chevre’s new owner.
“The snob appeal is gone. People are incorporating what used to be specialty foods into their everyday lives, and are having more fun with the experience,” Malakasis says.
Five varieties of Belle Chevre are currently available, including the traditional Montrachet-style logs (available with fourteen different herbs); a Tuscan Chevre marinated in olive oil and sun-dried tomatoes; medallions; crumbles; and spreadable Fromage Blanc. Malakasis plans to expand the company’s lines to include truffles made with goat cheese as well as goat cheese straws and other products that will compliment a cheese tray.
“We want our brand to reflect the current trends,” Malakasis says. “Consumers are more educated about how and where food products are made. They are wiling to seek and pay a premium for organic, slow food and artisan products because they know how much better tasting and healthier they are than mass-produced.
“High-end goat cheese is enjoying an unprecedented popularity, and not just with gourmands. I liken the cheese industry today to what the American wine industry was 15 years ago. What used to be hard-to-find and intimidating is now readily available in many varieties and flavors, with limitless serving and cooking opportunities. Our cheese has been served at The White House as well as an accompaniment to crackers at Super Bowl parties.”
Fromagerie Belle Chevre has produced a variety of internationally acclaimed chevres since 1989 using time-tested European farmstead techniques. The company is purposefully small, and each chevre is hand made by its passionate cheese makers. The result is an artisan cheese with a mild and distinct taste and texture that reflects the care with which it was made.
The cheeses come in four varieties featuring 14 seasonings from basil to herbs de Provence with lavender.
The farm occupies just 37 acres in Elkmont, Alabama near Huntsville. The company has nine employees. Its affiliations include the American Cheese Society, American Dairy Goat Association, Southern Foodways Alliance, and Slow Food International.
Belle Chevre cheeses have received numerous national awards from the American Cheese Society and the American Dairy Goat Association, and has been featured in many top culinary books and magazines.
Declared “American Treasure” by the internationally known authority on cheese, Steven Jenkins, and acclaimed by chefs and cheese lovers the world over, Belle Chevre is available at specialty retailers like Dean and Deluca as well as larger outlets like Whole Foods Market, and many other fine cheese shops in the U.S. For sales information, contact: Tasia Malakasis, President, Fromagerie Belle Chevre, at 256/423-2238 or via email at tmalakasis@bellechevre.com.
