Beecher’s Handmade Cheese – Flatiron District, New York

Posted by: Tossed Salads and Scrambled Eggs on: Thursday 15 September 2011

In: New York | Travelling
Comment!

I had read about Beecher’s Handmade Cheese opening in New York and made a mental note to visit the next time I was in the Big Apple. Located in the Flatiron District in a spacious loft, Beecher’s New York is a retail store, café, licenced restaurant and cheese making factory.

The original Beecher’s Seattle is at a busy intersection at Pike Place Market. Noses press against the windows to watch the cheese makers at work, inside the crowds shuffle along the narrow room to the cheese counter, and queues frequently curl out onto the sidewalk for their ‘world’s best’ mac and cheese.

The New York outpost spans three levels. The ground floor has a cheese counter, a produce section, the cheese kitchen and the café. There is seating on the mezzanine level and downstairs is The Cellar, a cheese and wine bar.

A large sign hangs above the café proclaiming the company’s mission of ‘changing the way America eats’ and directs the spotlight to the Flagship Foundation, Beecher’s contribute one percent of all sales to educate children on nutrition, health and food choices.

An L shaped counter entices with artisan cheeses and charcuterie, and shelves are laden with preserves.

The mezzanine level was empty when I visited for a mid afternoon snack. The elevated area has panoramic view of the cheese kitchen, although no cheese was being made on the day.