Specialty cheesemakers from around the world are eager to share their newest varieties at the Winter Fancy Food Show. Here are four who will be exhibiting cheeses and accompaniments at the upcoming event, taking place February 6 - 8, in Las Vegas.
Royal Hollandia, importer of Dutch cheeses, will debut its lineup of wheels, wedges, snacks, slices, and a new entry pack-size cheese at booth #1949.
“We’re excited to bring Royal Hollandia branded cheeses to the U.S. market,” said Debbie Seife, director of marketing for FrieslandCampina, in a statement. “The Royal Hollandia line is based on creativity and innovation that originated in Holland and has been handed down for generations to create this truly superior and delicious line of cheeses.”
Its newest product— Royal Hollandia Entry Packs—allow consumers to try cheeses in smaller sizes and at smaller price points, portioned in 3.5- to 4-ounce exact weight pieces. A combination of traditional Dutch cheeses, from mild and aged Gouda, Maasdam, and Edam to chili pepper and Mediterranean herb, will be offered in different formats to meet the needs of consumers.
Also exhibiting will be award-winning Bellwether Farms, a Sonoma, California-based family creamery, which will sample its new Fresh Sheep Cheese Logs, Whole Milk Basket Ricotta, and Crème Fraîche in booth #2647.
“We’re thrilled to finally be able to gather in person again and connect with retailers and other cheese producers,” says Liam Callahan, owner of Bellwether Farms, in a statement. “This industry really does have its own sense of community, and we love being a part of the show and getting real-time feedback with our product sampling.”
Whole sheep milk, sourced from a small network of local sheep dairies, is the key to the its Fresh Sheep Cheese Logs’ creamy texture, according to the maker. In addition, attendees can sample its French-style, cultured crème fraîche, which has a rich, nutty flavor with an appealing tart finish, and its Whole Milk Basket Ricotta, sold in its original draining basket, known for its pillowy texture.
Forever Cheese, importer of Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, and Croatian cheese and specialty food, will showcase its newest products in booth #2759.
Among its selections are cheeses that have never before been imported to the U.S., a new line of Italian charcuterie from Piacenza, and a wide variety of retail nuts, crackers, and confectionary, as well as Km 39, a long-aged cheese from Galicia, Spain, made with milk from 100 percent pasture-fed cows, and an artisanal hand-stretched cow’s milk cheese from Puglia, Italy.
"There are times when I just know—it’s like love at first sight. This is how I feel when I encounter some cheeses, and I am just bursting to share them with our industry,” explained co-owner Michele Buster of Forever Cheese.
They’ll also present ChocoDates, pillowy Deglet Noor dates dipped in dark chocolate, Pane di Musica, thin and crispy flatbread crackers from Sardinia, and retail bags of Organic Marcona Almonds Mitica, among other accompaniments.
Mario Perez, export manager at Quesos Los Cameros, will be flying in from Spain to Las Vegas to share its artisan cheeses from high-quality milk in the renowned wine region of La Rioja in Forever Cheese's booth, including two limited-edition cheeses made using milk from a single herd of sheep and cows, respectively.
Representing the new vegan cheese category will be Armored Fresh, which will debut three flavors of its new snackable cube vegan cheese made from almond milk in booth #3449.
“We’re excited about showing the world that vegan cheese can actually taste really good,” said Andrew Yu, CEO of Armored Fresh, in a statement.
The company manufactures alternative dairy cheese products using almond milk, with the mission of protecting people’s health and well-being by guarding the environment and the animals that live in it. Future plans include super vegan cheese that’s fortified with additional vitamins and nutrition and other alternative dairy yogurt and ice cream.
Related: Top Cheese Trends to Watch in 2022; Virtual Tastings Take Hold in the Cheese World.