Today we’d like to introduce you to Beehive Cheese. They and their team shared their story with us below:
This is not the cheese you grew up on—it’s in a league of its own, a flavor that transports you somewhere new where a spirited conversation can begin. This is a humble cheddar elevated to artisanal greatness through the art of the rubbed rind. Our cheese brings people together and sharing it freely has been linked to an increase in the quality and quantity of friendships—that’s pretty much a fact.
So how did the creation of award-winning, first-of-its-kind rubbed rind cheese derives from a software guy and a real estate salesman? Well, they say in order to break the rules you need to know them first.
Determined to contribute to the local Utah foodie community, best friends and brothers-in-law Pat and Tim sought help from Western Dairy Center, a leading cheese research institution in the western U.S. Seeing the determination of these friends, the cheese researchers quickly adopted them as their artisanal interns and mentored the novice cheesemakers with their expertise in cheese crafting. By the time the friends filled their vat for the first time, they had 8 days of cheesemaking experience between them.
Beehive–the name they adopted for their company– realized pretty quickly that you can’t make great cheese without the best milk. They chose to partner with Wadeland South, a fourth-generation family creamery. Wadeland takes great care of its healthy and thriving herd of Holstein and Jersey cows, which greatly impressed Beehive. Wadeland was the obvious choice. The high butterfat of their milk gives Beehive Cheeses its consistent, rich quality.
Finally, it was time to break some of those long-standing cheese traditions.
Tim had some coffee roasted by his brother in Colorado lying around. In a moment of flavor insight, he combined the rich, roast coffee with bright lavender for an external rub he put on a wheel of their base cheddar Promontory and thus Barely Buzzed was born! They took their new creation to the national American Cheese Society competition and turned heads. In its first year of creation, Barely Buzzed pulled ahead in its category and won Best Flavored Cheddar in America. Not wanting to disappoint, Barely Buzzed took first place another four times in the years to come.
This commitment and a willingness to try new things catapulted the cheesemakers to the national spotlight. Beehive continues to be among the nation’s leading creameries producing award-winning cheeses like our honey and salt-rubbed Seahive or cajun spice-rubbed Big John’s Cajun.
Our tiny creamery at the mouth of the Weber Canyon continues to grow. Pat and Tim have brought on the next generation of cheesemakers and staff to continue their vision and commitment to making friends through cheese every day.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Managing a business is a task fraught with challenges, and one of the biggest obstacles to success is navigating the process of growth and expansion in a sustainable manner that prioritizes the well-being of employees, the local community, and the environment. From the outset, we made a conscious decision to avoid rapid expansion that would jeopardize our company culture.
Fast forward eighteen years, and with the second generation of Beehive Cheese at the helm, we’ve been hard at work implementing processes and protocols that ensure our business stays true to our core values. Our ongoing commitment to producing award-winning cheese and making a positive impact in the world remains steadfast.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Beehive Cheese was founded in 2005 by Pat Ford and Tim Welsh, who had just 8 days of cheesemaking experience between them. However, the owners’ lack of expertise did not hold them back, and they embraced their unconventional approach to cheesemaking. They have since become pioneers in the rubbed-rind artisan cheese category, with their cheese, Barely Buzzed, winning First Place at the American Cheese Society Awards in 2007 and popularizing flavored artisan cheese.
The key to their award-winning flavored cheeses is their outstanding base cheese, Promontory, which is a creamy, buttery, and luscious Cheddar. They believe that starting with an excellent base cheese and selecting the right seasonings that will enhance the wheel while aging is the secret to creating exceptional flavored cheeses.
Beehive Cheese has received over 120 national and international awards and major cheese competitions since its inception in 2005. In 2021, they received their highest honor to date when their Queen Bee Porcini, which is rubbed with dried crushed porcini mushrooms, was named the highest-rated American cheese at the World Cheese Awards and awarded a Super Gold.
In March 2023, Beehive Cheese earned their B Corporation certification, which they are extremely proud of. While they have always been committed to ethical and sustainable business practices, this certification serves as a way to show their community that they are truly operating authentically.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
Over the past decade, the American artisan cheese movement has experienced tremendous growth, paralleling the rise of fine American wines. Consumers have become more discerning, seeking high-quality, local products instead of relying solely on European imports. The popularity of cheese boards as a party staple has surged in the past three years, contributing to our success.
Our timing was ideal, as we entered the artisan cheese market 5-8 years before consumers began to appreciate that American cheese could be much more than just a commodity. By the time the general consumer had caught up to the cheese movement, we already had a loyal fan base, had won several awards, and had a head start on running a creamery. As a result, we were perfectly positioned to meet the rising demand for artisan cheese.
In the next 5-10 years, we anticipate two significant shifts in the industry. The first is the succession of industry giants in the artisan space. Creameries like Cowgirl Creamery, Vermont Creamery, Rogue Creamery, etc have been purchased by larger companies as the founders have chosen to retire. We’re seeing the natural progression of this business, who were instrumental to the artisan cheese movement take the next step in their business lifecycle. It will be fascinating to see how this affects the artisan cheese industry. At Beehive, we have second-generation leaders who are ready to take our creamery into the future.
Secondly, we see a change in perception toward flavored cheeses. Consumers’ palates have become more sophisticated, allowing them to distinguish good flavored cheese from those that are masking an inferior base cheese. A new generation of cheese-lovers is emerging who are willing to experiment with flavored cheeses, rather than sticking to a “cheese purity” mindset.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://beehivecheese.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beehivecheese/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BeehiveCheese
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/beehivecheese
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/BeehiveCheese
Image Credits
Beehive Cheese
