Artisan Cheese Company to Open Deli, Cheese Kitchen and Cafe in Heart of Pike Place Market; Beecher's Handmade Cheese Offers Pure Food Experience.

Business Editors/Food Writers

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 19, 2003

Beecher's Handmade Cheese will introduce Seattle to the extraordinary world of premium cheese making with the opening of its deli, cheese kitchen and cafe in historic Pike Place Market on Nov. 20. The artisan cheese shop will offer Market-goers an opportunity to witness the entire cheese making process -- from the time the local milk arrives at the factory until it completes the one-year aging process -- while experiencing the full, pure flavors and textures of premium cheeses.

Beecher's will showcase its craftsmanship with an on-site, windowed cheese kitchen that occupies the former Seattle Garden Center space in the heart of the Market. The shop includes a deli, featuring a variety of the West Coast's expanding assortment of artisan cheeses, fresh cheese curds made on-site and complementary pure food items. The cafe serves a number of cheese dishes, soups, sandwiches and handcrafted sodas and juices.

"Creating distinctive, pure cheeses is a passion we are delighted to share with the community," said Kurt Dammeier, owner of Beecher's Handmade Cheese. "Our factory allows Market-goers to immerse themselves in an age-old tradition of crafting healthful, nutritious and full-flavored cheeses by hand."

Premium cheese is a food segment experiencing rapid growth in the United States. The labor-intensive process of making cheese with fresh, high-quality ingredients and aging it in small batches predates recorded history. While Pacific Northwest consumers are eating up the flavor and complexity of specialty cheeses (statistics show that Seattleites buy 50 percent more cheese than the national average), there are only a handful of artisan cheese makers in Washington.

"Our Northwest palates have become accustomed to the full flavors and freshness of local beers and breads," said Dammeier. "Additionally, we are becoming more interested in how our food is made and where the ingredients come from. At Beecher's, customers will actually see the cheese coming to life right before their eyes. They will appreciate the wholesome ingredients, artful process and passion for pure food that is evident in the entire Beecher's product line."

Beecher's Handmade Cheese will craft several varieties of premium cheeses, including its signature cheese, Flagship, a one-year-aged semi-hard cheese with distinguished flavor; three varieties of Jack cheese; and Blank Slate, a fresh, creamy cheese that customers can mix with their favorite ingredients to create a customized cheese experience. In addition, Beecher's will make a variety of limited time-offered cheeses to complement the freshest Northwest produce.