Meet Your Farmer: Beecher’s Handmade Cheese

Photo Credit: Beecher’s Handmade Cheese

Kurt Beecher Dammeier was strolling through Seattle’s famous Pike Place market one day when he noticed a rare “For Rent” sign in one of the shop windows. He has always had an interest in cheesemaking and decided that this was his chance to try it out. In 2003, Beecher’s Handmade Cheese was born, becoming a fast favorite for both Seattle locals and visiting tourists. Beecher’s quickly gained national attention for their delicious cheeses, winning awards from the American Cheese Society. In 2012, their flagship cheese competed against over 1700 cheeses from North America and won Best of Show.

Photo Credit: Beecher’s Handmade Cheese

From the beginning, Beecher’s has always been passionate about hand-crafting authentic full-flavored food with simple and delicious ingredients. Kurt partnered with a local farmer in Duvall, Washington to use the milk from his Holstein and Jersey cows. By working with local dairy farmers, he can guarantee that his cheese is being made from cows that are humanely treated and hormone-free. The result is a selection of cheeses that Beecher’s trusts and is proud to serve to customers. Kurt urges consumers to be more knowledgeable about what they are eating, where it comes from and how it’s made. Always aiming for transparency, Beecher’s Pike Place storefront even features large windows that look into the cheesemaking kitchen, allowing shoppers to observe the process first hand. Pike Place is the perfect location for this philosophy of thinking as it is well-known for featuring fresh produce and handcrafted artisanal food items.

Photo Credit: Beecher’s Handmade Cheese

In 2004, Kurt launched the Beecher’s Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to educating community members about food justice, food policy, and the power of consumer choices. With programs geared towards both children and adults, they aim to empower and educate others to make informed, healthy food choices that will influence the marketplace. Through education and community engagement, Beecher’s Foundation hopes to positively impact the food system. Beecher’s donates 1% of all sales towards their foundation.

Photo Credit: Beecher’s Foundation

Full Circle is proud to offer a selection of Beecher’s cheeses, including their signature award-winning flagship cheese. Flagship is a robust and nutty semi-hard cow’s milk cheese that has been aged for 15 months to allow for maximum flavor. This dense and slightly crumbly cheese is technically an alpine Cheddar, but its flavor is more complex and earthy than your typical cheddar cheese thanks to its notes of brown-butter. It’s the perfect pairing for your favorite IPA or dry red wine, but it also adds flavor and depth to any meal – omelets, sandwiches, and especially macaroni and cheese.

Photo Credit: Beecher’s Handmade Cheese

Full Circle members – head on over to our online Farm Stand Market to customize your upcoming delivery. Market is open from noon on Thursday until 6 pm on your cutoff date. After you confirm your produce items, click the orange button “Confirm and Continue To Other Farm Products” to add farm products to your delivery.

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