Do you love cheese? If so, then there is one place you definitely should visit this summer, the Vermont Cheesemakers Festival on July 25 in Shelburne, Vermont. I attended the event last year, and despite the crowds, still had an excellent time, savoring tons of cheeses, Vermont wines, and artisan foods.
The event is held on a Sunday, from 10:30am-4:30pm in the Coach Barn of Shelburne Farms. There will be about 50 cheesemakers, 20 wineries and breweries, and 15 artisan food producers. Beside the main event, there will be Seminars, a Cooking Demo and a Cheese Making Demo.
Some of the "cheeses celebrities” at this event will include:
o Steve Jenkins, Cheesemonger and author of several books including The Food Life and the best-selling Cheese Primer;
o Kate Arding, Cheesemonger and co-founder of Culture, the premier cheese magazine (and one of my favorite magazines);
o Janet Fletcher, Food writer and author of 18 books on food and wine including The Niman Ranch Cookbook, The Cheese Course, and the Four Seasons Pasta;
o Marc Druart, Master Cheesemaker at the Vermont Institute for Artisan Cheese;
“Vermont’s artisan food industry has become one of the most well-established and highly recognized in the country,” said Allison Hooper, co-owner of Vermont Butter & Cheese Company. “The Festival allows us to showcase some of Vermont’s best products, and judging by last year’s record attendance, there is definitely a growing interest in this type of hand-crafted and locally produced food.”
"Many of the cheesemakers and other artisan food producers are running small operations,” said Laini Fondiller, President of the Vermont Cheese Council. “This Festival provides them with a unique chance to reach consumers from across the country, helping to increase recognition of their products and grow their businesses.”
Tickets are only $30 per person, and you won't leave the festival hungry with all of the free food samples available. Though the website does not mention it , you do have to buy tickets for the wine/beer tastings. I believe though it was only $5 for 16 tickets, each good for a 1/2 ounce pour. Pursuant to Vermont law, you cannot be provided more than 8 ounces of wine and beer at a tasting.
The event is held on a Sunday, from 10:30am-4:30pm in the Coach Barn of Shelburne Farms. There will be about 50 cheesemakers, 20 wineries and breweries, and 15 artisan food producers. Beside the main event, there will be Seminars, a Cooking Demo and a Cheese Making Demo.
Some of the "cheeses celebrities” at this event will include:
o Steve Jenkins, Cheesemonger and author of several books including The Food Life and the best-selling Cheese Primer;
o Kate Arding, Cheesemonger and co-founder of Culture, the premier cheese magazine (and one of my favorite magazines);
o Janet Fletcher, Food writer and author of 18 books on food and wine including The Niman Ranch Cookbook, The Cheese Course, and the Four Seasons Pasta;
o Marc Druart, Master Cheesemaker at the Vermont Institute for Artisan Cheese;
“Vermont’s artisan food industry has become one of the most well-established and highly recognized in the country,” said Allison Hooper, co-owner of Vermont Butter & Cheese Company. “The Festival allows us to showcase some of Vermont’s best products, and judging by last year’s record attendance, there is definitely a growing interest in this type of hand-crafted and locally produced food.”
"Many of the cheesemakers and other artisan food producers are running small operations,” said Laini Fondiller, President of the Vermont Cheese Council. “This Festival provides them with a unique chance to reach consumers from across the country, helping to increase recognition of their products and grow their businesses.”
Tickets are only $30 per person, and you won't leave the festival hungry with all of the free food samples available. Though the website does not mention it , you do have to buy tickets for the wine/beer tastings. I believe though it was only $5 for 16 tickets, each good for a 1/2 ounce pour. Pursuant to Vermont law, you cannot be provided more than 8 ounces of wine and beer at a tasting.
They only sell a limited amount of event tickets so I highly recommend you buy them as early as possible. I know that last year they sold out weeks prior to the event so don't wait for the last minute. I will be attending the event again this year and hope to see some of my readers there.
You can easily make a weekend out of this event, getting a hotel room for Saturday night. Then, just leave early Saturday morning and take a leisurely journey through Vermont. There are plenty of excellent foodie stops on route, and you can check my blog for suggestions.
I really really want to go to this.. Thanks for sharing the info!
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