Tasia Malakasis, who
opened her first retail store in Elkmont for her Belle Chevre brand in April,
celebrated a “reinvention” with the moving of her goat cheese creamery from
Bethel Road in the Ardmore area to Elkmont. The 7,000-square-foot warehouse behind the Belle
Chevre store has been transformed into the new cheese factory. Derrick Young, co-owner of U.G. White
Mercantile in Athens, is opening its “Outpost No. 1” in Elkmont in spring 2014
because of the notoriety that Belle Chevre has brought to the town.
Visitors can take
advantage of a guided or self-guided tour of the facility. When visitors first
enter, they will view a film, “Tasia and the Cheese Revolution,” which was
produced and directed by Becky Beamer and won the Best Alabama Film at the
recent Birmingham Film Festival.
Curved hallway walls with leading back to viewing windows of the cheese production area are hung with photos and storyboards that tell about the journey of Belle Chevre to its prominence in gourmet circles.
At the viewing window, visitors can watch the cheese makers mold by hand the loose cheese into logs for packaging.
“Most goat cheese creameries use molds to extract the excess moisture out of the cheese,” said Malakasis. “But we do it the old way of working the moisture out by hand.”
Outside, a large courtyard is segmented into boxed herb beds, insuring a plentiful supply of fresh herbs to go into the cheese.
“We want to have a place where people can come and hang out,” said Malakasis. “The city is working on an access to the trail (Richard Martin Rails to Trails) and we are also talking with someone to do a bike rental. People can get their cheese and head on down the trail.”
Malakasis said she wants to encourage clubs and civic groups as well as school classes tour her facility. They will love Miss Cotten who has come to live with Buttercup at the creamery.
Curved hallway walls with leading back to viewing windows of the cheese production area are hung with photos and storyboards that tell about the journey of Belle Chevre to its prominence in gourmet circles.
At the viewing window, visitors can watch the cheese makers mold by hand the loose cheese into logs for packaging.
“Most goat cheese creameries use molds to extract the excess moisture out of the cheese,” said Malakasis. “But we do it the old way of working the moisture out by hand.”
Outside, a large courtyard is segmented into boxed herb beds, insuring a plentiful supply of fresh herbs to go into the cheese.
“We want to have a place where people can come and hang out,” said Malakasis. “The city is working on an access to the trail (Richard Martin Rails to Trails) and we are also talking with someone to do a bike rental. People can get their cheese and head on down the trail.”
Malakasis said she wants to encourage clubs and civic groups as well as school classes tour her facility. They will love Miss Cotten who has come to live with Buttercup at the creamery.
“Obviously, we’re here to make cheese for all of the distributors we have nationally, but we’re equally weighted on having guests come visit us.
Visitors to Belle Chevre’s new creamery in the heart of Elkmont will have the opportunity to take a self-guided tour with no call-ahead notice and learn the ins and outs of how America’s best goat cheese is made. Guided tours are also optional during set hours or by calling ahead. The tours will include the following:
SELF-GUIDED: (Monday-Friday 8am - 2:30pm, Saturday 11am-5pm, Sunday 12pm-4pm)
peek into cheesemaking
Belle Chevre History tour (posters, screen)
Tour and enjoy the outdoor (goats!)
Tastings/Samples at a Tasting Bar
$10 per person and free for children under 4
GUIDED: (Monday through Saturday by calling ahead)
peek into cheesemaking with in-depth explanation by one of our cheesemakers
Belle Chevre History tour (posters, screen)
Tour and enjoy the outdoor (goats!)
Tasting seminar at Tasting Bar
10% discount at the nearby Belle Chevre store
Q&A session with cheesemaker
$12 per person and free for children under 4
Book your Guided Tour using the form link below or by calling the creamery at (256) 423-2238.
Visitors
can take advantage of a guided or self-guided tour of the facility.
When visitors first enter, they will view a film, “Tasia and the Cheese
Revolution,” which was produced and directed by Becky Beamer and won the
Best Alabama Film at the recent Birmingham Film Festival.
Curved hallway walls with leading back to viewing windows of the cheese production area are hung with photos and storyboards that tell about the journey of Belle Chevre to its prominence in gourmet circles.
At the viewing window, visitors can watch the cheese makers mold by hand the loose cheese into logs for packaging.
“Most goat cheese creameries use molds to extract the excess moisture out of the cheese,” said Malakasis. “But we do it the old way of working the moisture out by hand.”
Outside, a large courtyard is segmented into boxed herb beds, insuring a plentiful supply of fresh herbs to go into the cheese.
“We want to have a place where people can come and hang out,” said Malakasis. “The city is working on an access to the trail (Richard Martin Rails to Trails) and we are also talking with someone to do a bike rental. People can get their cheese and head on down the trail.”
Malakasis said she wants to encourage clubs and civic groups as well as school classes tour her facility.
“Obviously, we’re here to make cheese for all of the distributors we have nationally, but we’re equally weighted on having guests come visit us.”
Self-guided tours are $10; guided tours, $12. - See more at: http://enewscourier.com/local/x2112903055/Saying-cheeeeese-to-Belle-Chevre-expansion-in-Elkmont#sthash.vxuDb9vG.dpuf
Curved hallway walls with leading back to viewing windows of the cheese production area are hung with photos and storyboards that tell about the journey of Belle Chevre to its prominence in gourmet circles.
At the viewing window, visitors can watch the cheese makers mold by hand the loose cheese into logs for packaging.
“Most goat cheese creameries use molds to extract the excess moisture out of the cheese,” said Malakasis. “But we do it the old way of working the moisture out by hand.”
Outside, a large courtyard is segmented into boxed herb beds, insuring a plentiful supply of fresh herbs to go into the cheese.
“We want to have a place where people can come and hang out,” said Malakasis. “The city is working on an access to the trail (Richard Martin Rails to Trails) and we are also talking with someone to do a bike rental. People can get their cheese and head on down the trail.”
Malakasis said she wants to encourage clubs and civic groups as well as school classes tour her facility.
“Obviously, we’re here to make cheese for all of the distributors we have nationally, but we’re equally weighted on having guests come visit us.”
Self-guided tours are $10; guided tours, $12. - See more at: http://enewscourier.com/local/x2112903055/Saying-cheeeeese-to-Belle-Chevre-expansion-in-Elkmont#sthash.vxuDb9vG.dpuf
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