Blue cheese and salad dressing producer Litehouse shines with opportunities
Idaho-based Litehouse Inc. makes award-winning blue cheeses, yogurt and buttermilk. The employee-owned dairy processor uses these ingredients in its top-selling line of refrigerated salad dressings.
The city of Sandpoint (population 7,500) is in the skinny part of Idaho, wedged between Washington and Montana, and about an hour south of the Canadian border. Sandpoint is the seat of Bonner County which, at 1,920 square miles, is larger than the entire state of Rhode Island. When the Dixie Chicks sing of “Wide Open Spaces,” they could be referring to this part of Idaho.
Far from the foodie capitals of the United States, Litehouse Inc. makes some of the best blue-veined cheese in America. At this year’s American Cheese Society contest, Litehouse won first place for its Simply Artisan Reserve Double Crème Gorgonzola, second place for its Simply Artisan Reserve True Gorgonzola and third place for its Simply Artisan Reserve True Blue. Last year, Litehouse took first place for its Simply Artisan Reserve Blue Cheese.