MEET US - Cheese Department News Update
Wild Oats Market News - Your local, organic, & specialty community-owned cooperative grocery store! Everyone can shop & Anyone can join
MEET US - Cheese Department April 2023
Wild Oats Market is a socially responsible co-op serving our Berkshire County community shoppers since 1982!
Anyone can shop and support the community. We offer select items from over 1000 local vendors with offerings pertaining to specialty, organic, sustainable items and more!
While shopping in the store you may find our team preparing foods, packaging products and restocking shelves while servicing our guests.
During your visit, you may even smell an aroma of delicious food made with our teams’ culinary expertise.
CHEESE PAIRING RECOMMENDATIONS
We’d like to make some suggestions on cheese pairing food and drink combinations that we feel you will enjoy. Also, please note that the soft cheeses recommend below should be rested at room temperature for at least 20 minutes (but up to an hour) before consumption in order to get the proper consistency and aromas.
1. Any of our Smoked Gouda or Aged Cheddar slices on top of a Wild Oats Made Raspberry Chocolate Chip Cookie. Yes, this sounds odd, but try it! You may be pleasantly surprised!
2. A brie or camembert wedged soft cheese goes nicely with a pilsner beer.
a. Von Trapp Mount Alice Brie with Von Trapp Bohemian Style Pilsner (same family, different companies).
3. Fruit and cheese are a great combination.
a. For the soft cheese connoisseur, try Harbison by Jasper Hill Farm and spoon it onto fresh blackberries. Expect that this cheese will have a blue green flora rind and lots of complex notes of spruce.
GRILLED CHEESE RECOMMENDATIONS – in honor of National Grilled Cheese Month – April.
1. Alpha Toman – an award-winning cheese
2. Raclette – by itself or enjoy it on a turkey and bacon melt.
3. Gruyere – delicious grilled cheese and why not try adding apples and ham to it. Plus, a teaspoon or so of shavings can be used in many dishes containing melted cheese to give it an extra zing.
4. Aged Cheddar – create the classic grilled cheese we all know and love.
MEET THE CHEESE BUYER, KEVIN
We are excited and pleased to share that our Cheese Buyer was promoted from within. Kevin has worked at our co-op for almost two and a half years, providing great customer service while paying attention to detail. Many of the cheeses we carry require delicate, precise handling and Kevin has the touch. Managing special requests and sourcing new local and international products among other tasks are essential to the operation and Kevin’s efforts are essential to ensuring guest satisfaction. Working closely with Jared, the Meat, Seafood & Cheese Department Manager the two-take pride in selecting the best quality products from local, domestic and international vendors to meet our guest needs.
WHERE TO FIND CHEESE IN THE STORE?
There is a dedicated section for cheese in the back of the store. You will also often find cheese cross-merchandised in departments such as Produce and Deli during promotions based on the time of year and pairing recommendations.
HOW TO ORDER FROM THE CHEESE DEPARTMENT
Planning on purchasing a cheese platter for a gathering or just a snack? Need specialty cheese cracker-cuts? Our cheese team can help.
We aim to make shopping a convenient, personal experience for all of our guests. In the event you require assistance please ask any of our teammates for help
Everyone can shop Wild Oats Market for cheese products and more. Visit us every day of the week between 8:00 am and 8:00 pm. We’re located at 320 Main Street, Williamstown, MA 01267, where you will be greeted by our personal, friendly and knowledgeable staff ready to lend a helping hand.
You can order cheese in a variety of ways:
Shop the co-op- Wild Oats Market, 320 Main St, Williamstown, MA 01267. Ask any teammate to connect you with our Cheese Buyer, Kevin.
CALL - (413) 458-8060 between 8 am to 8 pm, 7 days a week
Know exactly what you’re looking for? Email us your order at orders@wildoats.coop.
Need personal assistance with you order? Perhaps you’re interested in a platter or would like to review our bulk options. Email our Cheese Buyer directly at cheese@wildoats.coop. On qualifying special orders, Member-Owners receive a 10% discount. Please inquire for details.
CHEESE PLATTERS ARE AVAILABLE
Additionally, cheese platters can also be ordered through our Prepared Foods Department. Email requests to pfmanager@wildoats.coop. On qualifying special orders, Member-Owners receive a 10% discount. Please inquire for details.
Standard Cheese Platter- Three varieties of cheese: a sharp cheddar, pepper jack, and mozzarella served with crackers and fruit. (4oz/person).
Local Cheese Platter- Exclusively locally sourced cheeses including one soft cheese and two hard cheeses with bread slices, crackers and berries based on availability. (4oz/person).
International Cheese Platter- Containing 100% international brands.
Custom Order- Built to spec, per your specific requests.
WHAT WILL YOU FIND IN THE STORE?
Our team listens to your requests, researches and carefully selects farms and vendors to deliver the freshest items for our shoppers from local regional and international providers. In the store, you can find items from these wonderful trade partners.
Boston Post Dairy is a family run farm. It is Located in Enosburg Falls, Vermont across from the scenic Missisquoi River with a view of beautiful Jay Peak. Boston Post Dairy is named after the Old Boston Post Stagecoach Road which runs straight through their farm. They sell their cheeses, goat milk soaps, maple syrup and bakery items which are all made at the farm. Plus, their cheese room is made with viewing windows to allow visitors to watch the cheese making process. On warm summer days, you can take a visit to see their friendly goats and chickens.
Jasper Hill Farm’s is an award-winning producer of cheeses that are ripened at The Cellars at Jasper Hill, within their 22,000 square-foot underground cave-aging system. Their mission is to make the highest possible quality products in a way that supports Vermont’s working landscape. They are driven to be the standard bearer of quality and innovation in the artisan cheese industry while promoting their regional “taste of place”.
Old Chatham Creamery award winner of dairy products. This natural, non-GMO, local dairy, family-owned creamery was founded in 1993 within the rolling hills of the Hudson Valley as a sheep dairy. Their Hudson Valley Camembert smooth, buttery, and decadent perfection, award-winning cheese started it all.
Von Trapp 3rd generation family owned and operated creamery and farm store with ties to the Sound of Music movie that made “von Trapp” a household name. Farmstead focuses their energies in making the best versions of our quartet of cheeses: Mt Alice, Savage, Mad River Blue, and Oma. They believe that wholesome, flavorful food begins with healthy soils and animals. They are proud to provide distinctive organic Vermont cheese as well as yogurts and pastured meats from their family farm in the heart of Vermont.
Cricket Creek Farm is a small, grass-based cow dairy nestled in the Berkshire hills of Williamstown, MA. They produce raw milk, grass-fed beef, rose veal, and whey-fed pork, in addition to seven styles of artisanal farmstead cheeses. They generally milk between 35-40 cows at a time, and care for about 80 animals in total. This is an open farm – they welcome visitors and encourage questions. Their Mission is to produce nourishing food that honors our animals, respects the land, and feeds our community, and to exemplify a sustainable model for small-farm viability.
Crescent Creamery Quality Milk for Particular People - Crescent Creamery branded milk comes from local and regional farms Crescent Creamery distributes milk, dairy products and related items to the food service industry and locally-owned retailers in Berkshire County and throughout western Massachusetts, southern Vermont, northwest Connecticut and nearby New York State
Provisions International, Ltd offers over two thousand types of cheese from countries all over the globe. Our importers ship to us each week and we constantly seek out new and unique cheese, as well as the very best of the classics.
Black River Produce is a Vermont-based foodservice distributor of quality locally-focused ingredients: produce, seafood, meats, floral & dairy & specialty. They stock the best Vermont farm fresh dairy and artisan cheese the state has to offer. The terroir of their products is second to none.
HOW CAN WE SERVE YOU BETTER?
We welcome your feedback! It helps us provide the best guest service possible. Please email feedback, special cheese requests, and questions to us at cheese@wildoats.coop