Portland has long been known as an innovative food town. Sasha Davies, co-owner of Cyril’s at Clay Pigeon Winery, is taking resourcefulness to a whole new level by creating a new kind of cheese club, one supported by the local community. With all the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) groups in the area, starting a community supported cheese club seemed the next logical step.
“It’s a cheese club for the people. In the spirit of keeping our club members happy, at each club pick-up we will have attendees cast their vote for future selections. Your voices will be heard!” says Sasha Davies, creator of Cyril’s Community Supported Cheese Club.
By starting a community supported cheese club, she is giving cheese lovers an opportunity to choose their cheese or opt-out any month. Using online funding platform Kickstarter, participants can read a description of the month’s cheese, commit to purchasing it and learn when the pickup party is scheduled. If fewer than 30 people buy the cheese, the cheese club simply doesn’t happen that month and no one is charged.
Cyril’s Community Supported Cheese Club launches with a two-year-old Dutch Gouda, L’Amuse Gouda, that tastes like salted caramel, butterscotch and cheese all rolled into one. The cost is $32 for a 1-pound chunk. If enough cheese lovers commit via Kickstarter by Friday, February 15th at 5pm PT, the cheese pickup party will take place at Cyril’s on Thursday, February 21st at 6:30pm.
Davies plans to have a public cracking and wrapping of the cheese, food-pairing suggestions along with tastes of wine and beer recommended by fellow co-owner and winemaker Michael Claypool of Clay Pigeon Winery.
The food and drink pairing recommendations with the L’Amuse Gouda at the pickup party will be:
Food- Winter squash soup with Gouda shavings and aged Gouda biscotti with walnuts
Beer- Boneyard RPM IPA from Bend, Oregon
Quarts of each month’s featured beer will be available for purchase at a discounted price.
Wine- Cabernet Sauvignon from Jan-Marc Cellars, Portland, Oregon
Bottles of each month’s featured wine will be available for purchase at a discounted price.
Cyril’s Community Supported Cheese Club
815 SE Oak, Portland, OR
Map to Cyril’s at Clay Pigeon Winery
Visit the Cyril’s Community Supported Cheese Club Kickstarter page
If 30+ people commit to buying a pound of L’Amuse Gouda cheese by February 15th, the pickup party will be held at 6:30pm on Thursday, February 21st.
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