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Vermont Cheesemakers’ Festival slowly maturing
Written by Mike Donoghue, Free Press Staff Writer
SHELBURNE — Much like its primary product, the annual Vermont Cheesemakers’ Festival appears to get better with age.
The festival that started with the hopes of attracting a crowd of 500 cheese connoisseurs in 2009 actually attracted 1,000 fans for the inaugural event. This year, organizers limited tickets to 1,750 tickets, and they were gone one month before the doors opened Sunday at Shelburne Farms.
“The first year we decided we would sell 1,000 tickets, and we hoped to get 500 people. We sold out the first year about a week or 10 days before. I was a little panicked because people were not accustomed to not being able to go to a Vermont event, not be able to buy a ticket,” said Allison Hooper of Brookfield, one of the organizers.
“We are trying to up the ticket sales slowly so that we can keep the flow for the traffic and the intimacy of the event so that people don’t come and feel that it’s not special,” she said.
She said the 1,500 tickets planned for last year were gone before the event.
“This is not just a Vermont event. It’s a regional event or a national at some level. They come from all over,” she said. Tickets go on sale in February.
A check of the parking lot at Shelburne Farms proves it with vehicles registered in states all along the East Coast and into Canada.
The festival also attracts food writers from across the nation, the Food Network and even Martha Stewart Living, said Hooper, co-owner of the 27 year-old Vermont Butter & Cheese Creamery in Barre Town.
The creamery employs 48 people, but some Vermont cheese companies take advantage of distributors to promote their products.
Provisions International of White River Junction was offering various cheeses it promotes, including Jasper Hill Farm in Greensboro. The distributor helps sell for about 30 cheesemakers.
“It’s gone very well. It has been a great turnout. It definitely kept moving all day,” said Craig Biathrow of Provisions.
“It was very productive day. We met a lot of new people. Sample some new cheese for people. It was educational for retailers and consumers alike. Hopefully cheese sales will increase now,” Biathrow said.
The festival also attracts many of the top Vermont wineries and beer brewmasters. But it also is a chance to showcase many of the obvious things that go with cheese, such as crackers, pickles and brownies.
The Vermont Brownie Company of South Hero was displaying some of its wide-ranging tasty products, co-owner Shawna Lidsky said. She said the specialty food company even has a brownie that has goat cheese in its.
“Not only do you have to have a good brownie, but you have to have a very unique brownie. One that has goat cheese in it. That’s how we earn our place here,” Lidsky said.
“People come over and are totally blown away by the fact that not only are they having a brownie, but there is (goat) cheese in it. I think sometimes they are getting a break from cheese and then they find out there is cheese in the brownie,” she said.
“They love it. It’s great for us to meet all these people because they come from all over the country,” Lidsky said.
Some products are a little more obviously cheese related, such as pizza. Mach’s Mobile Wood Fire Pizza of Pawlet set up portable units to serve customers. The Rutland County business specializes in fresh, gourmet and organic ingredients.
“It was great to see tour buses coming in,” said co-owner Deannna Mach, who had a tent overlooking the lake and a nice breeze. She would support a second day and would like to see some bands to entertain the people who are sprawled out on the lawn.
Barbara Bacchi of Shaftsbury brought her Vermont Moonlight Cookies that were also a big hit.
She said one of her customers mentioned it would be great to expand the event to two days.
“I don’t know if it’s possible, but it sounds like a good idea. It’s great food. I love local,” said Bacchi, who sells locally at City Market in Burlington and Healthy Living in South Burlington and many co-ops.
Even the out-of-state vendors couldn’t help but try some Vermont goods. Suzy Konecky of Cricket Farm in Williamstown, Mass., took time to pick up some smoke cheese from Plymouth Artisan Cheese.
“Isn’t this is a great cheese festival?” said Konecky.
“We knew we could meet a lot of different buyers and distributors in the whole Northeast. It’s not just Vermont. We’ve seen folks coming up from Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts. People from all over come,” she said.
Contact Mike Donoghue at 660-1845 or mdonoghue@burlingtonfreepress.com.
Add comment July 25th, 2011
