Artisanal Brands Inc., New York, entered into a distribution agreement with Cheezwhse Inc. to distribute its CheeseClock by Artisanal , color-coded boxes that contain cheeses that are grouped according to their flavor profile Mild Medium Bold and Strong. Suggested beer and wine pairings are clearly stated on the packaging.

With its recent acquisition of Boston-based Crystal Foods, Inc., Cheezwhse is one of American’s leading cheese importers and distributors to the retail sector. Cheezwhse services more than 2,000 retail stores in the greater New York and New England markets as well as select prime retail accounts across the country, with a customer base comprised primarily of independently-owned stores.

”Artisanal’s newly trademarked Artisanal CheeseClock™ is incredibly innovative, accessible and appealing to our mostly independent retail store owners,” Joseph Gellert, founder and CEO of Cheezwhse stated. “Artisanal has differentiated their brand, making cheese selection easy for the consumer which is exactly what the marketplace needed.”

Back in 2007 while attending a Cheese and Wine Pairing class lead by Maitre Fromager Max McCalman at the Artisanal Cheese Center, Daniel Dowe, president and CEO of Artisanal Brands, came up with the CheeseClock idea: All cheeses fall into one of four classifications, starting at the 6 to 9 o’clock position of a cheese plate (Mild cheeses), then the 9 to 12 o’clock position (Medium cheeses), then to the 12 to 3 o’clock position (Bold cheeses) and then, finally, to the 3 to 6 o’clock position (Strong cheeses.)

Cheezwhse, Inc., based in Armonk, N.Y, has been in operation for more than 25 years under the leadership of founder and CEO, Joseph Gellert. The company imports and sells wide range of cheeses and specialty food items.
Source: Artisanal Brands Inc.