Websterville, VT — Vermont Butter & Cheese Creamery announced today that their Bijou aged goat cheese took the coveted Sofi™ award from the National Association of Specialty Food Trade (NASFT). The Sofi™ Awards recognize the best in specialty food and beverages and are a coveted industry honor. sofi stands for Specialty Outstanding Food Innovation.
Bijou was one of 140 Silver Finalists selected among a record 2,257 contenders this year by a national panel of specialty food experts. The winners were announced at a red-carpet ceremony, co-hosted by Executive chef Dan Barber on June 28 at the 56th Summer Fancy Food Show in New York City.
“This is our fourth gold award in 8 years. We are thrilled with this recognition which complements the Outstanding Product Line award won 2 years ago. With so many great products from around the world, the competition is tough. It is a great honor,” said company co-founder, Bob Reese.
French for jewel, Bijou is a 2 oz soft ripened goat cheese. The wooden crate of 15 cheeses carefully nestled on plastic straw captured the Outstanding Food Service Product award. “This cheese is perfect for chefs who are looking for a special and delicate cheese for a salad, appetizer, or cheeseboard. It is small and easy to pair with other ingredients. It has a delicate edible rind that adds aroma and flavor to the dish without overpowering the food,” said co-founding cheesemaker, Allison Hooper.
The product was developed with chefs in mind. Not only is Bijou a great cheese on the cheese board but it presents an opportunity for the chef to bring cheese to the center of the plate and add a new dimension to the ubiquitous goat cheese salad. “We wanted to emulate the memorable warm goat cheese salads that we ate in French sidewalk cafes by promoting them here in the U.S. A slice of Bijou on a slice of baguette melted under the broiler topping a bed of greens is simple and delicious. It really highlights such a lovely cheese” said Hooper.
In their twenty-sixth year of business, Vermont Butter and Cheese Creamery, located in Websterville, VT is a leading American Artisan creamery. Crafting innovative, all-natural fresh and aged goat cheeses, crème fraîche, mascarpone, and European-style cultured butter, the creamery supports a network of more than 20 goat dairy farms, providing milk that meets the highest standards of purity, and is a proud contributor to the health of local agriculture.
