Maplebrook Adds Burrata To Product Line With Italian Cheesemaker

BENNINGTON, VT – With a reputation for handmade Italian and Mediterranean cheeses firmly in place, Maplebrook Fine Cheese could have rested on their laurels. However, a telephone call in the fall of 2010 has had an impact that owners Michael Scheps and Johann Englert could not have imagined.

The phone call was from the wife of Domenico Marchitelli, a Puglian native who learned to make mozzarella as a child in his cheese-centric hometown. He and his wife were looking for a small, Italian cheese company in the United States, one in which Domenico could utilize his old-world skills. At the same time,Scheps and Englert were considering producing burrata, a traditional cream-filled mozzarella born in Puglia, Italy. A serendipitous marriage began as Marchitelli joined Maplebrook and burrata joined Maplebrook’s product list.

True Puglian burrata starts with stracciatella: thin, hand-pulled strands of fresh mozzarella soaked in a creamy base. Forming burrata balls is a two-person operation, with one person stretching out a pocket of mozzarella, while thepartner scoops stracciatelli into the middle. The ball is formed around thefilling and pinched at the top. Marchitelli has now trained a team at Maplebrook, and cases of burrata leave the plant daily, seemingly minutes after being made.

Cheese shops, restaurants, and specialty markets have taken advantage of the opportunity to offer an authentic Italian delicacy produced locally. Some outlets have introduced burrata for the first time, while others have switched from occasional imported burrata. Media attention has been considerable, from newspapers and magazines to blogs and social media.

Burrata is a recent addition to Maplebrook’s full line of handmade cheeses, including hand-stretched mozzarella, whole milk feta, hand-dipped ricotta, cherry-wood smoked mozzarella, and more. For additional information, pleasecall (802) 440-9950 or email contact@maplebrookvt.com.

###

Maplebrook Fine Cheese began producing hand-stretched mozzarella in the kitchen of an Italian grocery in Manchester, Vermont in 2003. Michael Scheps, a third-generation cheesemaker, would scramble to keep up with the orders generated by his partner, Johann Englert. The following year, the pair saw enough potential to purchase a plant and launch a dedicated business. The Maplebrook brand continues to stand for authenticity, old-world methods, and pure ingredients.

Source: Maplebrook Fine Cheese