Vermont Mac & Cheese Challenge, September 13th
July 8, 2015 | 3 min to read
What better way to spend a brisk fall day than eating lots of gourmet mac & cheese? Buffalo has their chicken wings, Maryland has their crab cakes, Philly has their cheese steak and Vermont is now on the map for gourmet Mac & Cheese. At the Annual Vermont Mac & Cheese Challenge, sponsored by Vermont Farmstead Cheese Company (VFCC) and Castleton Crackers, you’ll have the chance to sample 20 – 25 macaroni and cheese dishes made by top chefs and restaurants around Vermont and New Hampshire.
The third annual Vermont Mac & Cheese Challenge will be held at Artisan's Park in Windsor, VT. (next to Harpoon Brewery), on Sunday, Sept. 13 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Last year, 21 local restaurants competed and over 2,400 macaroni and cheese fans attended.
Vermont Farmstead Cheese Company celebrates the connection between Vermont cheesemaking and the farm to table movement that has become a focus for many local chefs and restaurants in our area. According to VFCC COO Kent Underwood, “ There is a real sense of place that connects us to our food, especially with Vermont and artisan cheese. Promoting local area restaurants from both Vermont and New Hampshire through this annual festival is a source of pride for us as well as an excellent fundraiser for Vermont Food Bank and Sustainable Woodstock.”
Last year, PINE Restaurant at Hanover Inn in Hanover, N.H., won the Judges 1st Place Award with their orechiette with smoked ham and spicy aioli sauce. Big Fatty’s BBQ in White River Junction, VT., won the 1st Place People’s Choice Award, and The Flying Goose Brew Pub & Grille in New London, N.H., won the Kid's Choice Award.
Attendees cast their votes for their favorite recipe and help decide first, second and third place finishers in the People’s Choice category. Everyone is given a list of competitors, a pencil and a biodegradable spork. Children 12 and under are given their own ballot to vote for the best Kid’s Choice. A panel of official judges including chef and food blogger Alejandro Ramos, WOMR DJ Matty Dread, A North Atlantic Whole Foods specialty cheese buyer, and Black Rock Country Club sommelier Timothy Gallant, will also be tasked to choose their favorite recipes for the Judges prizes who also select a first, second and third place winner. Prizes for participating restaurants include cash, cheese and cracker baskets, and bragging rights.
“What I like about the event is that all these chefs are bringing the highest quality Mac & Cheese recipes, and each one is vastly different from the next. Tasting all these delicious samples, along with the ability to purchase several varieties of Harpoon beer, make the event a true culinary experience,” says Sharon Huntley, Director of Marketing for Vermont Farmstead Cheese Company. “This year, we've redesigned the set up to make sure that the crowds can get to all the chef tables more easily. The venue has grassy slopes, picnic table seating, calf petting zoo with John Deere tractors and live music by local blues band Sensible Shoes, so it is an enjoyable way to spend the day for the whole family.”
Proceeds benefit Sustainable Woodstock and The Vermont Food Bank.
Admission is $20 ($15 if bought in advance). Children 6 and under are free. Admission will be limited to 3000 so purchase in advance is recommended. No pets please. Learn more at vtmacandcheese.com
ABOUT VERMONT FARMSTEAD CHEESE COMPANY:
The Vermont Farmstead Cheese Company (www.vermontfarmstead.com), which began as an inspiring community effort to save a local farm and its surrounding rural landscape, is today an award-winning cheese company creating an entirely new generation of unique farmstead and artisanal cheeses. Based in South Woodstock, VT, the farm is home to a prize-winning, multi-breed herd, with an adjoining 5,500-sq. ft. production facility. The company’s creative cheesemakers employ traditional and sustainable dairy farming practices in creating a line of the highest-quality, “old-world” cheeses with distinct Vermont authenticity and style.
ABOUT CASTLETON CRACKERS:
Founded in 2008 by Whitney Lamy in Castleton, VT, Castleton Crackers (www.castletoncrackers.com) is an all-natural line of artisanal and hand-cracked crackers inspired by an 1800s recipe. Castleton Crackers uses no refined sugar in any of their cracker recipes. Instead, any sweetening is done with 100% pure Vermont maple syrup. Mixed, rolled, and baked by hand, the wholesome, rustic-looking crackers are available in seven flavors: Grafton Graham, Middlebury Maple, Rutland Rye, Windham Wheat, Richmond Rosemary, Governor’s Cheddar and Alehouse Cheddar. Castleton Crackers contain no trans fats or artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. Castleton Crackers are available nationwide.
Source: Vermont Farmstead Cheese Co. / Castleton Crackers