There are people who enjoy delicious cheese as a topping on a meal, and there are others who create a meal around cheese. These same people seek the best possible source for their favorite cheese so that they can savor every taste and enjoy their meal to their fullest. Here in the Upper Delaware River Region, one of the best places to get artisan cheeses is from Calkins Creamery.
Calkins Creamery in Wayne County creates two types of cheese: raw milk and fresh. Their raw milk cheeses are made from fresh milk and aged in caves at Calkins Creek Vineyard for a minimum of 60 days. The fresh cheeses are made from gently pasteurized milk and are available for purchase just as soon as they have “ripened.”
With Calkins Creamery being just 20 minutes from Hawley, PA, on a quiet farm in Honesdale, PA, it’s easy to stop by Highland Farm to visit and see where the cheese is produced as well as sample and buy some of their delicious cheese.
The Story Behind the Cheese
Calkins Creamery is a family operated business run by husband and wife team Emily Bryant and Jay Montgomery. The farm itself has been handed down through five generations of Bryants who have maintained a strong connection and sense of responsibility to nurture the land and everything on it as well as to produce the best products possible for locals to enjoy.
Bryant and Montgomery relocated from California to Highland Farm several years ago, bringing with them experience in making artisan cheeses and a desire to help the family farm.
It has been the couple’s goal from the start to create fine, artisan cheeses using only the freshest milk possible. That means maintaining a herd of registered Holstein cattle.
Bryant and Montgomery encourage people to stop by because they believe it’s good for people to understand where their food is sourced. When you do stop by, you may catch a glimpse of their beloved herd of 200 cows (no bulls allowed) meandering in the fields or perhaps heading to the barn where they are milked twice a day.
What’s on the Menu?
Calkins Creamery produces 13 different kinds of raw milk, aged cheese. Flavors range from the 1841, which is a creamy, tangy American Havarti perfect for grilled cheese or with your favorite crackers, to its Levon’s Luck, a small Tomme steeped with orange peel and coriander and then washed with … beer!
Here’s a sampling of their raw milk, aged cheese menu:
Udderly Hot – The 1841 infused with locally-grown peppers for a kick!!!
4 Dog Dill – The 1841 infused with a healthy dose of dill
Highlander – Their creamiest semi-hard cheese.
Smoke Signal – Delaware Delicacies Smokehouse turns their Gouda into a delicious smoked cheese!
Calkin’s Creamery also produces 10 fresh, pasteurized cheese including:
Noble Road – Brie-style rounds
Noblette – Baby Brie-style wheels
Elsa Mae – Tallegio-style rounds
Moo Mozz – Hand -stretched mozzarella
Where to Sample Artisan Cheeses from Calkins Creamery
At Ledges Hotel in Hawley, the menu at its restaurant Glass.Wine.Bar.Kitchen features Calkins Creamery’s Vampire Slayer cheese, a Stirred-curd Cheddar hand-mixed with an unusual blend of herbs. Enjoy this cheese selection with their charcuterie options as a delicious appetizer.
The restaurant at The Settlers Inn in Hawley also serves Calkins Creamery cheese incorporated into various delectable menu items, and you can purchase Calkins Creamery cheeses at Cocoon Coffee House and Bakery right here at Hawley Silk Mill. Pick up a selection of cheeses to try at home with crackers, cured meats, and your favorite beverage