NEW YORK — Greensward, a cheese created by Murray's Cheese in partnership with Jasper Hill Farm of Greensboro, VT, was recognized as an industry best by the American Cheese Society at its annual awards presentation last week. The cheese was recognized as the #1 Soft-Ripened Washed Rind Cheese and took 3rd place overall in the prestigious Best of Show category. This recognition comes at an exciting time for Murray's, as the New York shop has recently expanded its cave aging facilities and begun to develop its first proprietary cheeses.
"We are excited about this recognition for Greensward, as it solidifies our commitment to true affinage and our dedication to maintaining high standards in the production and aging of all of our cheeses," said Steve Millard, Vice President of Foodservice and Merchandising for Murray's Cheese. "We truly appreciate our long standing relationship with our friends at Jasper Hill and their willingness to work with us on exciting projects like this. And we can't forget to thank the American Cheese Society for bestowing this recognition. On behalf of the Murray's team and our Certified Cheese Professionals and mongers across the US, we are proud and humbled – and more committed than ever to our craft."
Greensward was created four years ago exclusively for Eleven Madison Park restaurant. The cheese recipe was developed by the team at Jasper Hill and the aging process was a collaboration between Murray's staff, Jasper Hill and chef Daniel Humm. The cow's milk cheese was washed in beer and aged in Murray's cheese-aging caves in Long Island City, NY. The cheese has evolved over the past four years under the guidance of Millard and Murray's Cavemaster Peter Jenkelunas, who have changed the original wash from beer to cider; adjusted the length of aging; and worked with Jasper Hill to use younger cheese for a different and unique flavor profile.
"Working with Jasper Hill to create and perfect Greensward truly opened our eyes to Murray's potential for aging cheeses," according to Murray's Cavemaster Peter Jenkelunas. "The distinct impact our caves have on the flavor development in Greensward inspired us to consider every cheese that comes out of our caves as an opportunity to create something new – we make a similarly distinct, positive impact on every cheese we age. So it's especially fulfilling to be recognized for the hard work that went into creating this fantastic cheese."
"This win is the fruition of many years of collaboration between Jasper Hill and Murray's Cheese," said Jasper Hill Co-Founder Mateo Kehler. "There is so much more to come and we couldn't be more pleased that our hard work is being recognized."
Greensward is named for the "Greensward Plan," the city of New York's original plan for the development of Central Park. When it first launched, Greensward was on a New York-inspired menu at Eleven Madison Park and the cheese grew in popularity from there.
"Working with the team at Murray's to create this cheese was truly a collaborative experience and I'm so proud of what we've been able to achieve together," said Chef Daniel Humm. "The goal was to create something reminiscent of Vacherin Mont d'or, a creamy, funky, incredibly delicious cheese from Switzerland that I grew up with, but to also make something distinctive and different for our guests. The cheese was washed with a beer from Ithaca Brewing that we served as part of the picnic basket course at the restaurant and from the moment we started serving it guests fell in love. It's relationships like this that we love having, where we can craft something together with like-mind farmers or artisans, and enhance the experience of our guests while celebrating the amazing ingredients we have in the region."
Greensward is one of seven exclusive Cavemaster Reserve cheeses created through partnerships between Murray's and some of the world's best cheese makers. Others include Hudson Flower, Hollander, Barden Blue, Other Stephen, Project X and Cornelia. All are aged to perfection in Murray's cheese-aging caves and are available exclusively at Murray's flagship stores in Greenwich Village and Grand Central Terminal; at Murray's Cheese Bar; online at www.murrayscheese.com; and at Murray's shops in select Kroger locations across the US. For a complete list of Kroger locations, visit www.murrayscheese.com/locations.
The American Cheese Society (ACS) is the leader in supporting and promoting American cheeses. Founded in 1983 to support the North American artisan and specialty cheese industry, ACS provides advocacy, education, business development and networking opportunities for members of the cheese industry, while striving to raise the quality and availability of cheese in the Americas. ACS hosts North America's foremost educational conference and cheese competition, which included 1,685 entries from 248 companies in 2016.
About Murray's Cheese:
Founded in 1940 in the heart of Greenwich Village, Murray's Cheese is one of New York's most beloved cheese shops. The mission of Murray's Cheese is to bring the best cheese selection to the United States and to educate customers about cheese. Murray's flagship stores on Bleecker Street and in Grand Central Station's food market offer hundreds of domestic and imported artisan cheeses, along with a large selection of specialty goods. Through an exclusive partnership with Murray's, the Kroger family of stores features nearly 300 Murray's Cheese counters across the U.S. Follow Murray's on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @MurraysCheese.
About Kroger:
Every day, the Kroger Family of Companies makes a difference in the lives of eight and a half million customers and 431,000 associates who shop or serve in 2,778 retail food stores under a variety of local banner names in 35 states and the District of Columbia. Kroger and its subsidiaries operate an expanding ClickList offering – a personalized, order online, pick up at the store service – in addition to 2,230 pharmacies, 785 convenience stores, 323 fine jewelry stores, 1,400 supermarket fuel centers and 38 food production plants in the United States. Kroger is recognized as one of America's most generous companies for its support of more than 100 Feeding America food bank partners, breast cancer research and awareness, the military and their families, and more than 145,000 community organizations including schools. A leader in supplier diversity, Kroger is a proud member of the Billion Dollar Roundtable.
Source: The Kroger Co.
