In 2014, Murray’s Cheese in New York City had an idea for a clothbound Cheddar modeled on classic British versions. And this year, after two years of development, the company launched Murray’s Clothbound Cheddar – a bright, lemony flavored Cheddar.
Making cheese predates recorded history, but artisan cheesemaking in the U.S. is a relatively new industry. According to a 2016 American Cheese Society (ACS) report, there are more than 900 artisan, farmstead and specialty cheesemakers operating in the United States. While a few artisan cheesemakers have been in business for over 100 years, the average has been making cheese for only 15 years.
Lake Country Dairy makes award-winning Italian-style and alpine cheeses. The plant supports four family dairy farms and spurred an investor to build a whey processing facility across the street.
In northwest Wisconsin, about 25 miles from the Minnesota border, Schuman Cheese makes award-winning cheeses with techniques borrowed from French and Italian cheesemakers.
Neal Schuman and his three children have a nose for good cheeses. They are also adept at sniffing out opportunities with innovative flavors and packaging to appeal to millennials and baby boomers alike.
Neal Schuman is perhaps the most ardent defender of Parmesan cheese in the United States. Incensed that some cheesemakers were adulterating grated Parm with cellulose, Schuman organized the True Cheese campaign, warning consumers and retailers that all was not right in shelf-stable grated Parmesan products.
Hispanic cuisine makes up a large portion of the food market in the United States, and the demand of Hispanic-style cheeses has been rising over the past two decades.