GRAFTON, VT Grafton Village Cheese is launching a new line of traditionally aged, handmade, raw milk cheddars. Grafton Tavern Select is named for The Old Tavern at Grafton Inn, a quintessential country inn that has stood at the heart of Grafton Village, Vermont since 1801. This historic landmark has earned a reputation among discerning travelers as a pillar of hospitality and classic elegance, and is home to award-winning locally-inspired cuisine.
The Old Tavern is the namesake of this new brand of sought after cheeses that are regularly featured on the restaurants menu, and in the Chefs recipes. In fact, Old Tavern Chef David Smith and Grafton Village Cheese Artisan Dane Huebner work collaboratively to make and select the best cheeses Vermont has to offer, and which they feature as part of the Old Taverns inspired American cuisine.
Grafton Tavern Select cheeses represent the best of what Grafton Village Cheese is known for: classic, handmade, small batch, raw milk, naturally aged cheddars. The Grafton Tavern Select line is comprised of two, three and four year old, naturally-aged cheddars, and a unique Maple Smoked Cheddar that is cold-smoked for up to four hours over maple wood chips. All of the Tavern Select cheeses are handmade in small batches from local Jersey cows milk, which is naturally high in protein and butterfat. The resulting cheeses age exceptionally well, and deliver the superlative flavor and texture profiles that have come to characterize Grafton Village cheeses.
We want people to know how rigorous we are about making, and selecting for aging, only our very best cheese, Huebner said. Calling our two-year, three-year, four-year and maple smoked cheddar Tavern Select helps people understand the partnership between The Old Tavern and the Cheesemakers. Tavern Select cheddars are utterly distinct, and are the product of the unique mix of people and place that is Grafton Village.
The Old Tavern at Grafton opened in 1801 and is one of the nations oldest operating inns. Grafton Village Cheese and The Old Tavern at Grafton are operated by The Windham Foundation whose mission is to promote the economic and social vitality of Vermont’s rural communities.
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About Grafton Village Cheese
Grafton Village Cheese, located in Grafton, Vermont, handcrafts artisanal cheddar cheese. The company was founded in 1892 as the Grafton Cooperative Cheese Company, which converted surplus milk from local dairy farmers into cheese. Years later, a fire destroyed the original factory. When the Windham Foundation restored the company in the mid 1960s, a new era for the town was born. Today, quality and taste continue to serve as the hallmark of Grafton cheddar. As part of the nonprofit Windham Foundation, much of Grafton Cheeses annual earned income funds the Foundations charitable programs. More information on Grafton Village Cheese Company can be found online at graftonvillagecheese.com.
About the Windham Foundation
Headquartered in Grafton, Vermont, the Windham Foundation is an operating foundation engaged in philanthropic, charitable and educational activities. Since its inception in 1963, its mission is to promote the vitality of Grafton and Vermonts rural communities through its philanthropic and educational programs and its subsidiaries whose operations contribute to these endeavors. The Foundation is the owner of Grafton Village Cheese Co., The Old Tavern at Grafton and the Retreat Farm. www.Windham-Foundation.org
Source: Grafton Village Cheese
