Born 1824. Still Going Strong.
Same Process
Same Recipe.
Small Batches. Entirely By Hand.
Cheese the way it used to be.
Crowley Cheese has been made from the same unique cheddar recipe, in the same manner, since 1824.
Hand-made with raw milk – all natural, with no additives or preservatives.
Stubbornly Old School.
Still Wax Packaging.
Traditional packaging, and a differentiated cheddar–compared to a regular cheddar, Crowley is a moister, less acidic, faster aging and better melting cheese.
The Cheese: Long Form
The cheese recipe is unique to Crowley. It is a stirred curd cheddar, which incorporates a warm-water curd rinse. This places the recipe (and the moisture content of Crowley) in between a traditional cheddar on the one hand, and a Colby or a Jack on the other, with their cold-water washes.
The resulting cheese has the age-worthiness of a cheddar and, as a young cheese, the sweetness and accessibility of a Jack—but with much more flavor, due, especially, to the raw milk. Raw milk cheese is a category that is rapidly growing due to consumer-perceived flavor and health benefits.
Crowley Mild is released at 60-90 days and shows no acidity. This quality as a young cheese makes it an excellent base cheese for flavoring, which we take great advantage of. Currently Crowley is available in eight flavored variants (these account for more than 40% of Crowley’s cheese sales reflecting the growing popularity of flavored cheeses).
With its elevated moisture Crowley has a different (less sticky) mouthfeel, and unlike a conventional cheddar, is a superior melting cheese,, making it notably cooking-friendly, at a time when consumers are seeking versatile and cooking-friendly cheeses.
Due to the reduced acidity resulting from the curd rinse, Crowley ages about twice as quickly as a conventional cheddar. Crowley Extra Sharp is cold-aged for about 18 months, while Crowley Extra Sharp Reserve is aged about two and a half years, but by that time is “bite you back” sharp. This fast aging makes sale of an extremely sharp Crowley much more commercially feasible than is the case with other cheddars, which require something north of five years of aging for comparable sharpness.
While Crowley makes only one recipe, it is extraordinarily versatile and offers many SKUs. In addition to its flavored variants Crowley cheese is currently sold at six levels of aging—from Mild to “Unusually Sharp”. .
Finally, Crowley’s flavor profile, with the Holstein milk, is lactic and tangy, and notably different than the typical “caramel” profile of American cheddars.
In recent years Crowley has also been making limited quantities of its recipe with grass-fed A2 Jersey milk. Due to the elevated butterfat in Jersey milk this cheese is much more intense and buttery in style—neither lactic nor tangy. Not only does this create an additional cheese offering, while keeping to the Crowley recipe, it also opens the enjoyment of cheese to the estimated 15%-20% of the population who are sensitive to the A1 casein proteins found in Holstein milk. Many consumers also believe that the A2 milk offers additional health benefits compared to A1 milk. (A2 milk is projected to grow as a category at a CAGR of 18.5% between 2025-2030 according to Grand View Research.)
Happy Cows. Better Milk. Better Cheese.
Samplers
All Crowley flavors are available in convenient 8 oz. bars. For shipping purposes we offer self-selected boxed Samplers in 3-, 6-, and 9-bar quantities.
Wheels
Crowley continues to offer traditional aged clothbound wheels in 2.5 lb., 5 lb., and 23 lb. sizes. These cheeses are available with the cloth on or removed and are waxed by hand. Hand-cut wedges from the large wheels are available by special order.
Blocks
Crowley blocks are hand cut and hand waxed (with no cheesecloth). Blocks can be ordered in various sizes and are available in all flavors.
Critical Acclaim
Steven Jenkins“It’s a tribute to the timeless taste of Crowley Cheese, one of America’s most important cheeses, that it is still made by hand at this country’s oldest cheesemaking facility. Founder A. Winfield Crowley made his first cheese back in 1882 and his recipe for this American Treasure has remained unchanged for more than a century. … According to the USFDA “standards of identity” established at the turn of the century, Crowley Cheese is classified as a Colby, although in my opinion, it is neither a Colby nor a Cheddar, occupying a delicious spot somewhere in between…” (page 385).
Critical Acclaim
Clark Wolf“The English influence on New England cheesemaking has finally abated somewhat. Yes, there’s plenty of good cheddar. And Colby, or more accurately, Crowley, perhaps the oldest continuously made cheese in the States. A washed-curd cousin of cheddar; it’s clean, almost squeaky, and wonderfully homely. At its best, it’s transcendentally plain, in the best sense of the word. This, at a time when knowledgeable Americans are finally beginning to realize the values and sophistication of brilliant simplicity.”
Critical Acclaim
Tracey Medeiros“Few cheeses originated in the United States; most recipes were brought here by immigrants. Crowley Cheese is one of the few originals. It is similar to cheddar and grouped with cheeses such as Monterey Jack under the cheddar umbrella. Crowley Cheese’s method of preparation differs from English-style cheddar. Their variations allow for a shorter period of time to develop the cheese’s robust flavor – this contributes to a creamier, smoother taste.” (page 106)
Critical Acclaim
Laura Werlin“Crowley Cheese is also unique, falling somewhere between a Colby and a cheddar, although it is said to have been invented before the Wisconsin Colby. [p. 23]. … Its characterization matters not as much as its taste, which is superb. The hands-on treatment from start to finish, the raw ingredients, and, of course, the cheesemaker, all guide Crowley Cheese to its remarkable flavor [p. 162]. Steeped in tradition and handmade, Crowley Cheese is produced on a small scale. In the course of a year, only about 100,000 pounds of cheese are made. That is the daily output of some larger cheesemakers. The seeming simplicity of the operation and its small-town roots run counter to the relative complexity of the cheese. This American original, as Crowley proudly proclaims, embodies much of what specialty cheesemaking is about: balanced yet assertive flavor, quality control, uniqueness, and an end product that manages to be entirely satisfying and never boring.” [p. 163].
The Ultimate Credential
Crowley Cheese has won the coveted first place award in its category at the prestigious American Cheese Society annual competition.
A Vermont Destination.
On the Vermont Cheese Trail
A Living Museum.
Production Capacity
Crowley’s cheese production in recent years has been in the range of 30,000-50,000 pounds per year. Crowley’s historic factory has a maximum capacity of about 150,000-200,000 pounds of cheese per year, assuming one shift per day.
Revenue Growth
Over the past 4 years Crowley Cheese has grown 33% in revenue.
Turnkey
Crowley’s assets include the storied brand, the renovated factory building built in 1882, 16 acres of real estate adjacent to the factory, all cheese-making equipment, and approximately 50,000 pounds of inventory.
A Few Cheesy Datapoints
Cheddar is America’s most popular cheese at point of sale:
- Cheddar is growing @ a CAGR of 3.6% (Grand View Research)
- Flavored cheddars are projected to grow @ a CAGR of 6.7% between 2024-2030 (Grand View Research)
- A2 milk is one of the fastest growing segments in dairy, projected to grow @ an18.5% CAGR between 2025-2030 (Grand View Research)
- Crowley cheese is well-differentiated within the cheddar category, as a raw milk cheddar with a tangy lactic flavor profile, pleasant texture, extraordinary available sharpness in its most-aged variants and superior meltability—all in addition to its singular history
- Cheese tourism is the #1 trend for 2024 (academayofcheese.org)
The Cheddar Maker’s Lifestyle
No Extra Charge
A Note From Galen
Dear Reader,
Cheesemaking is not for everyone—it is a labor of love and very hard work. It requires energy, dedication, passion and smarts, and even then it’s not a pursuit through which one will get rich quickly. However, for someone(s) with creative instincts and a desire to simultaneously preserve and build, Crowley Cheese offers a unique opportunity.
In a world of sameness, the brand and product are unique in their history, process and authenticity. The cheese, an American original, is singular and very special, and creates a premise for a much higher level of production and distribution. At the same time, the Crowley Cheese Factory, America’s oldest, is a destination, and that dimension of Crowley offers as much immediate potential for further development as the cheese itself.
Jill and I have spent the past 15 years restoring Crowley to health. The business is growing and profitable. The facilities have been renovated top to bottom (without compromising the authenticity of the historic factory building.)
The potential for increasing Crowley’s popularity as a destination, and further building its distribution in the marketplace, has no inherent limit.
For the right people – perhaps a young couple looking for an alternative to the traditional grind of urban and/or suburban life, or a more mature couple looking for an ideal second career in beautiful, mountainous, rural Vermont – the upside is beyond significant. And these opportunities to combine lifestyle, work and play, so close to Boston or NYC, while enjoying the benefits here in Vermont, are really quite limited. Also, for many, the opportunity to be a significant part of the extraordinary artisan cheese community in Vermont will be a reward in itself.
If this notion holds appeal to you or someone you know, I’d like to hear from you … or them.
All the best,
Galen
Inquiries
Galen Jones
802-259-2340
galen@crowleycheese.com