Cheese

Here at Nugget Markets, we’re all about artisan quality! We love being able to purvey the products of exceptionally attentive makers whose passion for traditional methods and pride in their craft show through in their distinctive, high-quality creations. That’s why our Specialty Cheese Department is proud to participate in the American Artisan Cheese program which highlights and promotes boutique family-owned producers who—at the risk of being a little cheesy—are as gouda as gold. Read on to learn more—it’ll give you something to dream about!

Nettle Meadow

At Nettle Meadow Farm, the critters are just as doted on as the cheese! Part animal sanctuary, part cheese company, the farm is home to more than 130 well-cared-for rescue animals and over 1,000 carefree, free-grazing production animals, with the sanctuary also acting as a retirement home for those animals who are past their production years. As if that weren’t enough, they’re also responsible for making more than 500,000 pounds of carefully handcrafted cheese per year!

With happy cows, goats, sheep, bunnies, peacocks and more, this idyllic upstate-New York sanctuary/farm/cheesemaker wonderland and their commitment to natural, organic principles sounds too good to be true—and that’s before you even taste their award-winning cheeses. In short, they prove the cliché correct: love really is the most important ingredient in anything!

Learn more about Nettle Meadow’s animal sanctuary and how you can help their cause.

Fig & Honey Fromage Frais

Cheese, honey and fig? It’s a combination as timeless as infinity. This fresh, versatile mixed-milk spread is sweet, classic and approachable.

Honey Lavender Fromage Blanc

For those who enjoy the sweeter side of life, lovely lavender lends itself well to heavenly honey in this goat’s milk fromage blanc. Have it with raspberries for a fresh summertime dessert!

Briar Summit

This handcrafted and enticing mixed-milk pyramid makes a point to stand out—albeit, in a delicate, graceful way. It’s infused with raspberry leaf tea for a waft of herby floral notes and is great with sparkling wine.

FireFly Farms

With a focus on supporting local farmers, long-term sustainability and—most of all—animal happiness, FireFly has been in cheesemaking in Western Maryland since 2002. It’s so hard to choose just one of their delicious offerings —so why not try them all?

Bloomy Breeze: A beautiful blend of Jersey and Holstein milk that makes for a luscious and rich soft-ripened cheese. It’s aged for three weeks, then wrapped up to finishing the aging, resulting in a delicate and flavorful edible rind.

Merry Goat Round: One of their flagship specimens, this creamy cheese is mild and lactic when young, later maturing to achieve an earthy, mushroom-y flavor. It sings alongside apricot jam.

Baetje Farms

Coeur de la Creme Herbs de Provence: This heartshaped delight hails from Baetje Farms, a family dairy nestled among the fertile hills of Southeast Missouri that started as a passion project farmstead with just one goat, eventually growing into something much bigger. This award-winning nugget of goodness is imbued with organic herbs de Provence, making it the perfect complement to pork, chicken and lamb, as well as eggs, mushroom caps and more.

Boxcarr Handmade Cheese

Rocket’s Robiola: This dynamic, ash-ripened beauty is handmade in the heart of North Carolina on a first-generation family farm founded by a brother-sister duo. As it ages, this aromatic, doughy cheese’s firm chalkiness gives way to luxurious ooziness. It tastes full and earthy with a healthy minerality, and is great on ravioli, with bread or as a pre-dinner snack.

Tulip Tree Creamery

Snapdragon: This Indiana-based creamery presents a triple cream cheese inspired by the European classics with a snappy twist in the form of a spicy surprise: within the plumpish, buttery triple crème hides a ribbon of habanero peppers that brightly shine against the rich, milky creaminess. If you love a creamy-spicy combo with added fruity notes, try brûlée-ing it with sugar for even more sweet contrastive bliss. Oh, SNAP!

Barr Hill

What’s the buzz about Barr Hill ? Well, the distillery’s story began just over 20 years ago, when a beekeeper and a distiller joined forces in Northeast Vermont to create an award-winning ambrosial concoction: gin infused with local raw honey, forged from a connection to the land and the bees that buzz there. The result is a gin with depth, complexity and just a hint of honey sweetness—but the effort Barr Hill makes in protecting bees and raising awareness about their importance makes it all the sweeter.

Try their un-bee-lievable gin in The Bee’s Knees, their signature martini!

Frey Ranch Distillery

A relative newcomer to the bourbon scene, this family-ownedand-operated small business located just east of the Sierra Nevada mountains in Fallon, Nevada, has been around for a short 165 years (that’s five generations if anyone’s counting). They’re there every step of the way when it comes to their fine product: they sustainably grow all the grains used to make the whiskey, then malt, distill and age it on-site. That’s right—the finished product never leaves the farm until it’s sold! When it does depart and gets into your hands, it makes a great sipping bourbon, or is fabulous in an Old Fashioned or a Blackberry Smash cocktail.

Try their farm-to-table straight bourbon whiskey in their seasonal summer cocktail, the Blackberry Smash!

Honig Winery

Specializing in just two varietals, Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc, Honig Winery is one of the few remaining family-owned-and-operated small wineries left in Napa Valley. Besides a commitment to great wines, they’re also focused on preserving and improving the environment and minimizing their impact on the planet, helping to pioneer the Code of Sustainable Winegrowing Practices. As such, the winery is solar powered and the vineyards are home to a hive of 60,000 bees. Additionally, a flock of sheep are employed as little lawnmowers, naturally fertilizing the vineyards at the same time so no man-made fertilizers are needed. Even further, bird and owl boxes can be found over the vineyards to control the insect and rodent population, eliminating the need for chemicals or traps. But, back to the wine! The Sauvignon Blanc pairs well with whole roasted chicken or fresh shellfish, and the Cabernet is great with rich red meats. Give them a try!

Shannon Winery

With multiple award-winning wines, this family-owned-and-operated producer focuses on climate change and environmental issues just as much as making amazing wines. Situated in Clear Lake, their 1000-acre Shannon Ridge Mountain Estate is 100% Certified Organic thanks to their commitment to a fully regenerative organic farming system. Their farming efforts have earned them the 2021 California Green Medal Environment Award for their closed loop agriculture approach, which includes water conservation, biodiversity, pest management and wildlife preservation as just a few aspects.

Original Pattern Brewing Company

Focused on quality and freshness, this employee-owned brewery and tasting room based in Oakland has boasted an impressive array of craft offerings since its inception in 2018. With more than 135 unique releases in 2022 alone, Original Pattern has a diverse portfolio of brew styles— from the ever-popular IPAs and lagers to the unique Kolsch, fruited sours and so much more. With a constant rotation of brew styles, there’s always something fun and new to try—and since the selection of brews changes constantly, you won’t find the same thing available all the time (or even at every store). Across their vast catalog of craft creations, their quality is consistently exceptional. Don’t just take our word for it: Original Pattern claimed awards from the Great American Beer Festival and the California Craft Brewer’s Cup for the last five consecutive years!

Hot days call for cold treats, and sometimes you just can’t beat good, old-fashioned ice cream. From over-the-top sundaes and kid-friendly creations to adults-only desserts infused with something a little stronger, get the scoop, because it’s about to get out of cone-trol!

DIY Ice Cream Base

Making your own ice cream is simpler than you think! Get started with this basic recipe, then mix it up with fun and flavorful mix-ins like strawberry jam and pound cake, toffee and pecans, our Bakery’s famous Brownie Bites or whatever your heart desires.