The Future of Cheese
Story by Benjamin Lerner Photography courtesy Cabot Creamery
As Cabot Creamery celebrates its 100-year anniversary, the beloved dairy cooperative is looking ahead at the changing tastes of the American public.
Since its origins in 1919, Cabot Creamery has given Vermont farmers the opportunity to be part of a dairy community. One hundred years later, the cooperative remains in pursuit of excellence, and the farmers, scientists, cheese graders, and the corporate staff of Cabot Creamery stand poised to greet the challenges of the next 100 years with ambitious vigor.
By streamlining their production using modern methods, Cabot has managed to increase its output while actually raising their high-quality standards. When sustainable, co-op farming intersects with innovative cheesemaking techniques and ethical business practices, for Cabot, the result is a wide range of dairy products that consumers of all tastes can enjoy with a clean conscience.
As Cabot’ s reach has expanded, the quality of their cheese has continued to improve, earning critical acclaim from the world’ s most discerning cheese critics. Cabot’ s limited-availability Centennial 5 Year Cheddar won first place at the American Cheese Society Competition and Best New Product at the Specialty Foods SOFI Awards. What makes the 5 Year Cheddar stand out from other cheeses is its unique aging process that allows the cheese’ s flavor to mature while preserving its soft mouthfeel. Cabot Creamery CEO Ed Townley says,“ Usually, as cheese gets older, the flavor intensifies. It also often comes with the cheese drying out more, so it’ s a more concentrated cheese. This cheese not only had that very big, full, and delicious flavor but it also was very creamy in texture. That made it very different and very special.”
12 VERMONT MAGAZINE