Belle Chevre facts for kids
Belle Chevre is a special company in Alabama that makes delicious goat cheese. They started making cheese way back in 1986 in a town called Elkmont. Now, their main location is in Arab, AL, which is close to Huntsville, AL. They are known for making cheese by hand, using traditional methods.
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The Story of Belle Chevre
Belle Chevre was started by a person named Leone Jones Asbury. Over the years, the company had a few different owners. In 2007, Tasia Malakasis took over. She worked hard to make more kinds of cheese and to make the company's name well-known.
In April 2013, Belle Chevre opened its very first cheese shop and tasting room in downtown Elkmont. Here, visitors could try all their different cheeses for free! Since 2021, Foster McDonald has owned the company. In 2022, a cheese expert named Pierre Guérin joined him as a partner and president.
Delicious Cheeses and Products
Belle Chevre makes many tasty goat cheese products. They have classic goat cheese and creamy goat cheese spreads. These spreads come in three yummy flavors: original, honey, and fig.
They also make a special fresh goat cheese log. This log is carefully wrapped by hand in brined grape leaves and is called "the Greek Kiss." Since 2022, Belle Chevre Inc. also owns and sells another special goat cheese brand called Chevoo. Chevoo offers marinated goat cheese cubes that are soaked in extra virgin olive oil and come in many different flavors.
Awards and Special Recognition
Belle Chevre has won many awards for its amazing cheeses. The American Cheese Society has honored many of their different cheese types. A famous chef, who won a James Beard Award, chose Belle Chevre's cheese as a runner-up for a special award from Garden & Gun magazine in 2011.
In 2010, Cooking Light magazine gave them a Taste Test Award. The magazine said that Belle Chevre's cheese was so good it became very popular, helping small companies get noticed. Steven Jenkins, a world expert on cheeses, said that Belle Chevre's cheeses taste as good as the best ones from famous cheese regions in France.
More recently, in 2023, Belle Chevre's Spreadable Goat Cheese Fig flavor won the important SOFI Gold Award. This award came from the Specialty Food Association at a big food show in New York City. Also, Chevoo Marinated Goat Cheeses have won many awards from the American Cheese Society and the World Cheese Awards.
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