The upstate community of Utica, New York will soon be host to a uniquely elegant cheese experience when Artisanal Premium Cheese opens its doors to reveal its new modern state-of-the-art distribution, refining, and retail facility. The brainchild of Utica native and current Executive Director Daniel Dowe, it promises to deliver the same high-quality level of products and service that the brand has been known for since its inception.
History of Artisanal
Artisanal dining room
Artisanal began in the early 1990’s at Picholine restaurant , run by New York based chef extraordinaire Terrance Brennan, whose experience and acumen in the kitchen were equaled by his passion for the world’s great cheeses. Inspired by trips to France where the after-dinner cheese cart was de rigueur, he became determined to recreate that experience in Manhattan. And so it came to be that Picholine soon became a destination for gourmands seeking an outstanding cheese service.
Joined by the now legendary maitre-fromager Max McCalman, the two quickly redefined the standards for quality cheese service in America. McCalman methodically went about sourcing the best cheeses and created not only the country’s most refined restaurant cheese service but also a wealth of wine and cheese pairing information found in his many books on the subject.
In 1999 the duo opened Artisanal Fromagerie and Bistro, a renowned French-accented restaurant with not only a stellar cheese trolley but a retail counter. This gave way to the current version of the brand, with the opening of their temperature controlled cheese aging caves, which not only supplied their restaurants but resulted in the birth of their e-retail and wholesale operations. Read more about cheese trolleys.
From Restaurant to Retailer
Artisanal Cheese Clock
In 2007 Daniel Dowe acquired the company, determined to make Artisanal a category leader in the cave aged cheese e-retail sector. No stranger to the food business, Daniel explains, “ I was raised in a family grocery store and the food business was a labor of love. I later learned that cheese was the largest specialty food category but noticed that it lacked a definitive lifestyle brand.” Artisanal soon became the preferred source for discerning cheese-buying Americans seeking interesting and seasonal cheeses offered at peak ripeness. They continued to redefine the online cheese shopping experience by offering elegant gift options, and created the now famous Artisanal Cheese Clock, an educational tool designed to demystify the cheese-selecting process for the public.
The restaurant closed in 2017, but in searching for a new home for the company’s relaunch Dowe chose Utica for its rustic beauty, wide open spaces, and distribution capabilities. But unlike the strictly functional wholesale warehouse aging operation of the past, the new Artisanal will offer a beautiful state-of-the-art facility that will shine like a gem on the local landscape.
A New Retail Space
Artisanal cheeses and bread
When they open in the new location, Artisanal’s new temperature-controlled cave will be housed within a cheese-tasting facility open to the public, allowing guests to sample and purchase a selection of perfectly aged cheeses right in the cave. Dowe believes that this level of experiential shopping will “fill the knowledge gap that American consumers have as compared to their European counterparts” with regard to the art of cheese refining.
Another unique feature of the new Artisanal is their bread program. Having acquired Hemstrought’s Bakery, a well-known local favorite, they will continue to offer their existing line of baked goods, while adding a line of traditional European-style hand-kneaded breads designed to complement their cheeses.
Wholesale Business
While this retail cheese wonderland will surely be a hit with the public, cheese shops and other foodservice operations should take note that Artisanal’s wholesale program can be of great value, especially to chefs nationwide. Ever wish you could buy just a few wheels of, say, Epoisses instead of having to commit to an entire case? Artisanal will allow you to do just that. All those soft ripened and highly perishable cheese can be ordered by the piece, allowing you to build a program of cheeses without taking on a full case of each. Ditto for large wheels; how does four pounds of Beaufort Alpage sound instead of wondering if you can move that entire wheel before your staff becomes tired of pushing it?
The new Artisanal Premium Cheese is sure to become a destination for cheese lovers while serving as an energizing boost to the local economy, all while providing a standard of excellence in cheese that they have maintained since day one.