I think most people love cheese.... Could that be part of the reason why we always say "cheese" when being photographed? Just saying the word makes us smile for the camera. Just thinking of it brings a feeling of comfort, too...
As you know, I recently started a list of "My Favorite Things" and, today, I would like to not only add an item to my list---but also take you to where it is made. Oh, how I LOVE Beechers Cheese. Lucky for me, it is made very close to where I live near Seattle. Today, I am going to take you to their shop in the Pike Place Market area of downtown Seattle. First we have to take the ferry from where we live over to the "Emerald City." Come with me for a 30 minute ride to Seattle today, and lets explore Beechers Cheese shop. I am very excited today to have you read this posting because, as you will see, you are going to get a lot of information and also a little surprise in this posting...
I enjoy the ride over to Seattle from Bainbridge Island. There are always things to view along the way...
Leaving Bainbridge Island...
We pass the marina in Bainbridge...
We also pass a few homes along the waterfront...
It doesn't take very long for the skyline of Seattle to come into view...
There are always sailboats on the water...
A Seattle landmark....the Space Needle...
Arriving in Seattle...
Now that we are here in Seattle, let's head through the market place towards our destination...Beechers Cheese shop...
Once inside the marketplace, the smell of fish, produce and flowers fill the air. The market is a busy place...
I love the flowers at the marketplace....
Up ahead, I see the Beechers Cheese shop....our fieldtrip for today....
As the sign says, Beechers Cheese is made by hand. You can even watch them make it here at the shop. Let's step inside...
The first thing you notice is that Beechers is a busy place! I am definitely not the only person who loves good cheese!
As you step in the door, you see these nice ladies behind the counter who are busy dishing up some of their famous mac & cheese served nice and warm...
They also serve sandwiches and various other things...
The focus, however, is on their wonderful cheese....
As the next photo of the sign hanging in the shop will tell you, they use only the freshest wholesome ingredients for Beechers cheese. Their cheese contains no artificial flavorings, ingredients or preservatives...
The glass case features the many types of cheese that Beechers makes. So many, it is hard to choose! Luckily, they will give samples to help you select your favorites...
As I mentioned earlier, Beechers also makes a fabulous mac & cheese.... You can try it at the shop and even buy it boxed to take home with you to heat and serve.
They call it the "World's Best Mac & Cheese." I sometimes buy and serve this macaroni and cheese at my home. I cannot rave enough about this Mac & Cheese! I think it IS the best macaroni and cheese I have EVER tasted. And, I am not the only one who thinks this...
There is a sign up in the store that tells you that this "World's Best" Mac & Cheese is not only a "good thing" but also a "favorite thing" and loved by television's favorite daytime divas...
Yes, that is right! It was featured by both Oprah and Martha Stewart... So, as if my thumbs up wouldn't be enough....Beechers "World's Best" Mac & Cheese also has the tv divas thumbs up, too! Thank you, Oprah and Martha, for featuring something I love so much on your famous lists...
If you love cooking and would like to try their recipe at home, you can buy their cookbook---Pure Flavor---which features 125 great recipes from the Northwest. It has a foreward written by our famous Seattle chef, Tom Douglas, too, who knows a thing or two about great food!
The recipe is right in the book which is displayed at Beechers Cheese Shop....
You can buy this wonderful book at their shop, order it online or from your local bookstore. I like to gift this book to my family and friends who live outside the Northwest. Now back to the cheese...
You may be wondering by now....which cheese is my favorite? There are MANY wonderful types of cheese at Beechers....but, I must say, my favorite is their Flagship Cheese. I also love their Marco Polo Cheese and, of course, the "to die for" Mac & Cheese...
You can see the Flagship Cheese pictured above in the case, and they are suggesting the "fruit and nut bar" as something delicious to pair the cheese with. The Flagship cheese is great all by itself, and it is a staple at our home. It is wonderful with wine and fruit. My family loves this cheese and we serve it a lot. Our guests seem to really love it as well...
If you are in question about what to pair with a particular cheese, Beechers is very happy to assist you in making a selection from their wonderful assortment of crackers, spreads, and sauces...
As mentioned earlier, you can watch the process of making some of these wonderful cheese selections right at the store...
Behind the glass window ( to the left) is a long bar with stools that looks into this work area which is always kept clean as a whistle. You can watch the cheese being made while enjoying some of the delicious mac & cheese or a nice sandwich...
These signs hang above the long bar where you can sit and watch the process...
I love the fact that they use antibiotic free milk! The milk comes from two local milk dairy farms. Thank you, Beechers, for supporting our area and the local farms.... xoxo
Let's see what they are doing today...
While watching this, I am thinking that this would be a great field trip for some of the local elementary schools. Unless lactose intolerant, most children LOVE cheese. They also love to see how things are made...
I am sure many schools visit Beechers Cheese store in Seattle...
Wow! Look how thick this is when he raises it up!
Yes, I feel certain that there will be children who will grow up having some great memories of watching cheese being made at Beechers. I am sure while visiting, they had some questions, too. One of those questions might be, "What is a curd?"
On one of the walls in the shop is a photo of the building Beechers Cheese is in. This photo was taken in 1897. Beechers Cheese shop is located today on the corner.
Here is a photo I made when I visited the cheese shop last week...
Beechers Cheese is now sold in a few stores. You may not find all the varieties that they have in the shop in Seattle...but keep your eye out for the Flagship Cheese that I love and a couple of other varieties. I am seeing it mainly in whole foods markets. Here is an article that is framed on the wall about the loyalty of their customers to the shop in Seattle.
You may have heard a rumor which I can now confirm.... If you are reading my blog and happen to live in New York... Well, I have some good news for you! Beechers is coming to New York!!!! The opening date is June 24, 2011.
Beechers Cheese is opening up a cheese making kitchen, cafe, and wine and cheese bar in Manhattan. So, if you live near Manhattan's Flatiron District, you can visit Beechers Cheese. If you do, tell them we said hello...
I hope have enjoyed my tour of the Beechers Cheese Shop in the Pike Place Market area of downtown Seattle.
If you visit the Seattle area, put a tour of Beechers Cheese shop on your itinerary. Until you do visit, keep your eyes open for Beechers Cheese at your local whole foods market. You just might spot the cheese or the "World's Best Mac & Cheese" on display. I also urge you to visit their website: Beechers Cheese
If you visit the website, above, you can order the cheese as well as read about the history of Beechers Cheese and watch a video with Martha Stewart when Kurt Beecher Dammeier appeared on her show not too long ago. On the video, Kurt makes the fennel pickles that are going to be served at the new location in New York! The recipe is also given. You can also learn more about Kurt Beecher Dammeier's interview with Oprah...and... (surprise!) you can click on our local show, New Day, from the website above and watch Kurt make the "World's Famous Mac & Cheese" and (second surprise!) even get the recipe.... You can also go on a virtual tour of the shop in Seattle. So, be sure and visit! (I don't get any money for promoting Beechers or their site...) Beechers made Oprah's very last favorite things list in December. Kurt will tell you on the New Day Video about it and how their site crashed that day from so many people ordering and visiting!
I hope you try Beechers delicious cheese! If you do, you will see why it is not only "a good thing" but also tops my very own list of favorite things! If you try Beechers Cheese, it may just very well make your list, too!
Kim,
The girls loved Seattle. They didn't come across Beechers Cheese, but there were so many wonderful places that they went to. I just wish I was there to see it all. Nel would have loved Beechers Cheese because she always likes to try different types of cheeses. Sounds like you had a fun day. Love the post.
~Sheri at Red Rose Alley
Posted by: Sheri, Jess, and Nel | Thursday, June 02, 2011 at 05:21 PM
I love cheese...and this day looks so wonderful to me. I would love to take this little trip and taste this wonderful cheese. We love curd, every year as we go out to cut our Christmas tree, that is one of our treats..curds and apples! My FIL started a cheese factory here years ago but with different owners in went bust about 3 years ago. Thanks for sharing your day my friend, loved it! ;D
Posted by: Julie Harward | Thursday, June 02, 2011 at 05:30 PM
Hi Sheri,
I am so happy the girls had fun in Seattle! We were there on that same Monday walking around Pike Place Market. Wouldn't that have been something if one of us had caught the other in our photos! :) I love the photos on Seattle that were posted on your blog. Looks like they had a wonderful time! We had a beautiful day in Seattle on Monday. They weather was so pretty! xoxo Kim
Posted by: Bluebirds and Butterflies | Thursday, June 02, 2011 at 10:01 PM
Hi Julie,
Thank you for the nice comments. I really enjoyed visiting your blog today. Happy Birthday to your mother-in-law....98 years! She will have to tell us her secrets for her health and longevity! Wishing her many more years! xoxo Kim
Posted by: Bluebirds and Butterflies | Thursday, June 02, 2011 at 10:05 PM
Hi Kim, I just love cheese, I love a cheese platter it is one of my favourite things. Nothing better than a ploughman's lunch and a nice cold beer mmmm. Thank you for the tour today I enjoyed it very much I wish that I could get that cheese over here I would love to try it. Have a great weekend. Trish xox ;)
Posted by: Trish Rowley | Friday, June 03, 2011 at 04:09 AM
Hi Trish! So happy to see your comment today. I always enjoy your visit to my blog. Hope you are doing well there in Australia. Have you been working on your patchwork lately? Hope all the ladies in the group are doing well. Trish, you would LOVE Beechers cheese! There are some nice stories on the link to the website I posted. I thought the one about the cheesemaker was interesting. Yesterday, I was reading the one about the different kinds of cheeses and how they should be stored. Hope you have a wonderful weekend! xoxo ((((hugs)))) Kim
Posted by: Bluebirds and Butterflies | Friday, June 03, 2011 at 07:52 AM