Specialty Cheeses

Located near California’s coast in Paso Robles, Central Coast Creamery is gaining momentum in the domestic artisan cheese category. At the helm is Reggie Jones, a veteran of the dairy industry, who has worked in various aspects of quality control, production management, whey refining and sales of cheese cultures and enzymes. After considering their next venture, Reggie’s family decided to make the move to California’s Central Coast, well-known for its support of artisan foodstuffs and wineries. Looking back into the region’s history, one will find that the area was once home to a number of dairies. However, during the 1970’s, most of the region’s independent dairy farms lost their steam, and were extinct by the end of the decade. The Jones family, looking to rejuvenate these roots, started Central Coast Creamery. In true California spirit, all of their cheeses are made in primarily handmade, small batches using locally-sourced milk free from artificial growth hormones, and aged on pine racks. Central Coast’s Goat Gouda was the company’s first cheese, and also the cheese that put them on the map. Produced from pasteurized goats’ milk and cream, and aged for five months, its texture is semihard, yet creamy, with sporadic tyrosine crystallization. You’ll notice flavors of caramel and toasted nuts with a zippy finish. Goat Gouda is also the most decorated of their cheeses.