09/17/2012

TICKETS NOW ON SALE FOR SECOND ANNUAL SOUTHERN ARTISAN CHEESE FESTIVAL

The Bloomy Rind follows up last year’s highly successful debut event with the 2nd Annual Southern Artisan Cheese Festival, a celebration of southern cheesemaking that brings cheesemakers from six states to Nashville on Saturday, October 6.

The event is scheduled at the Nashville Farmers Market (Flea Market building) from 3:30 to 7:00 p.m. Cheesemakers from around the Southeast will be serving samples and selling larger quantities of handcrafted cheese. Artisan food accompaniments like local jams, honey, cured meats, bread, crackers, pickles and other items to pair with cheese will be available for sampling and buying. Craft and microbrew beers, coffee and select wines will be paired and served. Attendees will enjoy samples of more than 150 cheeses, artisan foods and beverages.

Author and cheesemonger Gordon Edgar will be at the Festival to lead a tasting session and sign his book, Cheesemonger: Life on the Wedge. Other cheesemongers from around the Southeast will share their favorite pairings, and the event will include several cheese-centric classes as well.

This year, The Bloomy Rind will donate a portion of sales to the Martha O’Bryan Center, a family resource center in East Nashville that empowers children, youth and adults in poverty to transform their lives through education, employment and fellowship.

Sponsors for this year’s Festival include Yazoo Brewing Company, Jackalope Brewery, Yelp, Brooklyn Slate Company, Woodland Wine Merchant, Formaticum, Graffiti Advertising, Five Points Digital Imaging and Turnip Truck.

Among the participating cheesemakers are Tennessee favorites Noble Springs Dairy and Sequatchie Cove Creamery. Regional cheesemakers include Belle Chevre and Stone Hollow Farmstead (Alabama); Boone Creek Creamery and Kenny’s Farmhouse Cheese (Kentucky); Heritage Homestead, Looking Glass Creamery, Chapel Hill Creamery, Goat Lady Dairy, Round Mountain Dairy and Prodigal Farm (all from North Carolina); Bonnyclabber Country Cheese, Mountain View Farm Products and Caromont Farm (all from Virginia); and Calyroad Creamery, Capra Gia Cheese Company, Manyfold Farm, Nature’s Harmony and Sweet Grass Dairy (all from Georgia). Participating cheesemakers continue to join the event, and an updated list of participants can be found at www.southerncheesefest.com.

Participating artisan food and beverage vendors include Yazoo Brewing Company, Jackalope Brewery, Porter Road Butcher, Bathtub Gin Fruit Spreads, Roast Inc. Craft Coffee Roasters, TruBee Honey, Twin Forks Bread, Olive & Sinclair Southern Artisan Chocolates and Provence Breads (all from Nashville), Pine Street Market, The Spotted Trotter Charcuterie, Phickles Pickles and Emily G’s Jam of Love (all from Georgia), Olli Salumeria (Virginia), Accidental Baker (North Carolina), The Virginia Chutney Company (Virginia) and Pecans! (Alabama).

Advanced tickets are now available for $44. Each ticket comes with a souvenir glass for beverage sampling (21+ with ID) and a $5 voucher that can be used toward the purchase of any cheese or artisan food at the festival. Tickets purchased before August 31 come with a souvenir insulated tote bag. A limited number of VIP tickets are available at $114, which includes early admission to the event, a $10 voucher, a swag bag and admission to a VIP-only “Makers N’ Mongers” reception Friday evening. The event sold out last year, so advanced purchasing is highly recommended.

“Last year’s event sold out, which reinforces my experience that Southerners love their cheese and are more and more interested in knowing where their food comes from and how it’s made,” said Kathleen Cotter, owner of The Bloomy Rind. “As demand and appreciation for handcrafted cheeses continues to grow, I’m thrilled to help connect cheesemakers and enthusiastic consumers.”

About The Bloomy Rind
The Bloomy Rind is an artisan cheese counter located inside Porter Road Butcher at 501 Gallatin Road in East Nashville. A unique selection of sustainably made, hand-crafted cheeses are available cut-to-order in a friendly, approachable setting. The Bloomy Rind cheeses are also available on the menus at Holland House, Tayst Restaurant, Eastland Café, Merchants, Jackalope Brewery, Silo, and Lockeland Table.

www.southerncheesefest.com ~ www.thebloomyrind.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/SouthernCheeseFest ~ Twitter: @SthrnCheeseFest