Looking Glass Creamery recognized for Best Cheese of the Year

In celebration of Culture Magazines’ annual Best Cheeses of the Year issue, the bimonthly cheese-centric publication has selected their 2017 favorite cheeses and pairings from each region in the United States.

Looking Glass Creamery of Fairview, N.C. was recognized as a Best Cheese of the Year for their take on a classic English-style cheddar, Drovers Road, named after the road generations of drovers (drivers of livestock) have used to reach Charlotte from the mountains of Western North Carolina.

“The road goes right through the creamery,” says Andy Perkins, who owns Looking Glass Creamery with his wife, Jen. Drovers Road is rich and dense and made from raw cow’s milk with natural buttery notes and a hearty paste. The English-style cheddar pairs well with good salami, some stoneground mustard, and a crusty loaf of bread.

Looking Glass Creamery is based in Western North Carolina and is a member of the WNC Cheese Trail. The WNC Cheese Trail is a 501c(6) non-profit cooperative effort by the region’s farmstead and artisan cheese producers to promote the production and sale of WNC cheeses, facilitate consumer education, and encourage regional tourism.

Looking Glass Creamery is a small, family-run cheesemaking operation started in 2009 by husband and wife team, Jennifer and Andy Perkins. The company makes fresh to aged cow milk cheeses as well as caramel sauce from the milk of their pasture-based herd in Columbus, N.C. The company has garnered national recognition and awards by the American Cheese Society & Good Food Awards and numerous regional and national publications.

Looking Glass Creamery has recently acquired Harmon Dairy, a second generation cow dairy run by brothers, Doug and Alan Harmon, and is expanding production and building a new facility in Polk County. They operate a cheese shop at their original location in Fairview, N.C., which is undergoing renovations to offer more retail and food service options and improved parking. Their product line is available at the restaurants and retailers throughout Western North Carolina and regional distribution is available through Cornucopia Cheese & Specialty Foods and Cheney Brothers.

– submitted by Lea LeFebvre