Exceptional New Clothbound Cheddar from Cincinnati
Way back in the summer of 1991, I was the president of the then far, far smaller than it is today, American Cheese Society. The conference that year was out in San Francisco. When I went on stage to welcome everyone, I held up a plastic-wrapped American single, the kind we had back when I was a kid, and said: Today, this is what almost everyone in the U.S. thinks of when they think of American cheese. At some point in the future, if we do our work well, we’ll have changed that belief! When people say, “American cheese,” they’ll be thinking of the kind of hand-crafted, full-flavored artisan offerings that around when we opened in 1982 would have come almost exclusively from Europe. Back when I made that forecast, there were probably 40 or 50 really great American cheeses. Now there are so many I can barely keep track of them. Some of the best of the new generation come from Scott Robbins and Andrea Siefring-Robbins of Urban Stead Creamery down in Cincinnati. I met them a few years ago at the American Cheese Society annual conference. I learned in our first conversations that we share values with Scott and Andrea. They set up their small business with the motto “cheddar for the better” with the idea of contributing generously to their local community.
As of this past week, we now have some of their exceptionally good cheese! The first of their offerings to land in the Deli’s cheese case is the award-winning cheese that they wittily named Street Ched. In the few years they’ve been making it they’ve already won a wide range of awards! It won a Gold Medal in this year’s ACS competition—out of nearly 1600 entries from over 200 creameries. The Street Ched has everything I would want a cloth-bound, English-style cheddar like this one to have. Deep rich flavors, buttery and nutty, with that gentle hint of earthiness that’s so characteristic of the best British offerings.
The Street Ched is great with the local pears and apples that are in the markets right now, and really great with Concord grapes if you can find them. Wonderful on a slice of the Bakehouse’s True North bread spread with some Vermont Creamery Cultured Butter and/or a bit of good mustard. Really, the main message is it’s just good! Eat it in any way you like, though be sure to let it come to room temperature first to access its full flavor.
Andrea and Scott are so appreciative of the Cheese Society and the American cheese world, a “community in curd” that has supported them as they have pursued their own brand of personal, organizational, and culinary greatness. As per Natural Law #12—“Great organizations are appreciative, and the people in them have more fun”—they lead with appreciation:
Thank you to the American Cheese Society for providing a platform for education, supporting American cheesemakers and for having the best conference of any industry out there. The cheese industry is just so absolutely special and we’re so happy we took this leap.
As am I! Street Ched, I’m happy to say, has street cred. One taste and you’re almost sure to say, as I have, that is one very impressive cheese. In fact, I realize now, that it’s everything I hoped would play out when I spoke from the ACS podium over three decades ago. This is American cheese!
