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FREE Bonus Bayley with every gift box order! PLUS a Vault 7 Playlist! $$PLAIN_TEXT_PREVIEW$$
INTERVIEW WITH
A BAYLEY MAKER
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What makes Bayley Hazen Blue so special?
The people that make it.
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Earlier this year we had our annual all-company meeting,
a major highlight of which was recognizing our first-ever
EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR:
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TIM AIKEN!
Congratulations, Tim!
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Tim is one of our beloved Bayley Hazen Blue makers. He made his first-ever batch of Bayley at the end of 2010, nearly a decade ago. When we asked Tim what he likes most about making Bayley,
he replied,
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“the magic of transforming our milk into an awesome cheese.”
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Tim often says that even though cheesemaking is hard work, he never feels like he’s “going to work” when he walks into the creamery.
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While most of us are fast asleep, the Bayley make is underway: Tim usually arrives well before 3:00 in the morning to get things started. The make must begin early—Bayley is a slow-and-steady kind of cheese, and each step of the process requires tremendous patience—nothing can be rushed! |
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While most of us are fast asleep, the Bayley make is underway: Tim usually arrives well before 3:00 in the morning to get things started. The make must begin early—Bayley is a slow-and-steady kind of cheese, and each step of the process requires tremendous patience—nothing can be rushed! |
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The milk needs to fully ripen before the rennet can be added, adequate time must be allowed for the curd to properly set before cutting, and the cut curd follows a fairly lengthy stirring program before it’s ready to mold. |
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The milk needs to fully ripen before the rennet can be added, adequate time must be allowed for the curd to properly set before cutting, and the cut curd follows a fairly lengthy stirring program before it’s ready to mold. |
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Knowing the exact moment to move on from one step to the next requires carefully balancing technical assessments with seasoned intuition.
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Once the curd is ready, filling the Bayley molds is quite tricky.
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Once the curd is ready, filling the Bayley molds is quite tricky.
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It’s crucial that each wheel of Bayley ends up being about the same height, as uniformity ensures even ripening throughout the batch, but the process itself poses a challenge: the wheels are not molded all at once, instead, the empty forms are grouped onto trays and hand-filled one by one. |
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It’s crucial that each wheel of Bayley ends up being about the same height, as uniformity ensures even ripening throughout the batch, but the process itself poses a challenge: the wheels are not molded all at once, instead, the empty forms are grouped onto trays and hand-filled one by one. |
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As individual molds are filled, they also begin to drain. The cheesemaker must pay attention to how quickly the curd is draining, respond to gradual textural changes throughout the duration of the molding process, and constantly make minor adjustments in order to accurately eyeball each cylinder and achieve a consistent final product.
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Developing such skills requires time and experience, of course, but it also demands the kind of commitment to quality that has earned Tim Aiken his Employee of the Year title.
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We asked Tim what a Bayley maker’s biggest challenge is, and he said, “consistency—we react to our milk as it changes daily, and we do not calibrate our milk.” Anyone who knows Tim Aiken knows he can’t resist a challenge, so it’s no surprise that he rises to this one every time he makes a batch of Bayley.
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The walls of the creamery office are dotted with ribbons celebrating Bayley Hazen Blue’s wins, but Tim doesn’t let it get to his head:
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“All the awards and accolades are nice,” says Tim, “but I’m really just proud to be part of this great team that makes Bayley possible, and proud that cheese lovers love Bayley!”
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“All the awards and accolades are nice,” says Tim, “but I’m really just proud to be part of this great team that makes Bayley possible, and proud that cheese lovers love Bayley!”
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Tim’s favorite way to eat Bayley is drizzled with honey & sandwiched between dark chocolate—and he dreams of finally executing his Bayley-S’mores vision very soon.
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Craving a bit of Bayley yourself?
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Craving a bit of Bayley yourself?
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Right now, we’re offering a FREE bonus wedge of Bayley Hazen Blue with every Gift Box Order!
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THE WURST KÄSE SCENARIO
Stock up on staples with this fridge-filling box jam-packed with our favorite kitchen essentials! |
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THE WURST KÄSE SCENARIO
Stock up on staples with this fridge-filling box jam-packed with our favorite kitchen essentials! |
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THE VERMONTER
A true ‘taste of place’ from Vermont with three of our favorites cheeses paired with hearty spent grain crackers and maple roasted nuts. |
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THE VERMONTER
A true ‘taste of place’ from Vermont with three of our favorites cheeses paired with hearty spent grain crackers and maple roasted nuts. |
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THE DIVERSION
This board-in-a-box features 4 different jam pairings designed specifically for each style of cheese represented! |
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THE DIVERSION
This board-in-a-box features 4 different jam pairings designed specifically for each style of cheese represented! |
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ALL GIFT COLLECTIONS & ORDERS $75+ SHIP FREE!
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Want to add a little ambience to your snack session? Check out this sweet Spotify playlist by Joe, our Bayley Specialist at the Cellars! He manages Vault 7, our natural-rind cave, where Bayley Hazen Blue ripens alongside woolly wheels of Bridgman Blue and Landaff. Get your underground groove on and imagine each wheel being hand-spiked to the rhythms of Joe’s signature soundtrack!
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