Day Two Thirty Six : Valley Shepherd Creamery's new Shop

Valley Shepherd probably sounds familiar from my musings and suggestions over my posts, right? That's because up until a few weeks ago, you could only find their cheese at farmer's markets around town; but when you did found them, it was worth remembering them. Now, you won't have to search high and wide for their cheeses -- Valley Shepherd is the first creamery to open a storefront in New York. Based in Morris County, NJ, their new cheese shop on Sullivan Street houses all of their hand crafted and lovingly produced cheeses.

A gem of a shop, it is definitely worth the trip!

I'm sure you're wondering so what do they have? Only cheese? Other artisanal produce?

Well folks -- they have some yogurts, butters, milks, and pastas along with an olive oil and a vinegar and then a few crackers available for purchase with your cheeses. This is not a shop about the other items, it is strictly a shop that is about the cheese that's for sure.

A simple cheese case is stacked on two full shelves with all of their selections.

I tried quite a few of their small production cheeses and ended up buying a small sliver of their Tewksbury -- a mixture of raw sheep and cow's milk in a comte style aged for over one year. It is fantastically creamy but not buttery or heavy with a nice bright grassy sweetness and an herbal tang. Truly a smashing version of a Comte!

I made a list of definitely three more cheeses I'd want to go back and get another time. These are artisanal cheeses made with love and care and transported directly to you, the consumer. I think little neighborhood store fronts like this are so great -- its quintessential Old World New York when those mom and pop shops were everywhere.

Valley Shepherd Creamery
97 Sullivan Street
Open Tuesdays to Sundays