Woodlawn Creamery

For many years, Consider Bardwell Farm made Pawlet and Rupert from Woodlawn Farm’s cow milk. Consider Bardwell closed shortly after Covid due to some bad luck, but the Leach family at Woodlawn decided to keep the cheese going, so they brought the cheesemaking to their dairy farm. The Leaches have been on their farm for seven generations, and I think it’s beautiful they’ve figured out a way to keep things going. They even hired back the award-winning cheesemaker, Leslie Goff Tyminski, who had so much success with Consider Bardwell. 

Pawlet: Washed rind, aged 4-6 months, toma-inspired. Mild & buttery. A nice melter! If anyone is looking to zhuzh up a burger, this could be it. Also a great intro cheese for washed rind skeptics. Please notice the gorgeous mold (not mold 🦠) pattern on the wheel! 

Rupert: Alpine style, aged 6-12 months (I suspect our current guy is on the younger side,) fruity, also a great melter but also great on a cheese board. Very Vermonty. 

I’ve met Kate Leach a few times at Formaggio Kitchen when she’s in town delivering the cheese. She’s a sweet woman and always excited to talk cheese, and has invited us out to see the creamery. I’d like to get an overnight Vermont trip scheduled to visit other creameries as well!

(If you’re wondering what toma means, it’s sort of northern Italian farmer cheese. It sounds fancier than it is. It does not refer to Pt. Reyes Toma.) 

(Also, for you cow nerds, their Holsteins are not the giant industrial gals, they’re ladies who’ve been conscientiously bred on their farm for many cow generations.)