Beaver Cheese
We met with Lisbeth Goddik who, since 1999, holds the Floyd Bodyfelt Professorship at OSU. She let me know that Floyd is considered the best in the world at “sensory evaluation of dairy products.” Floyd specialized in ice cream and fluid milk, Lisbeth’s focus is on cheese. Coming originally from Denmark, Lisbeth is from a farming family - her parents and brother still farm in the Willamette Valley. Lisbeth also spent some time in France studying cheese and is planning on bringing in a specialist from Europe, a cheese maker-in-residence to OSU. Currently there are plans afoot to make and market an Oregon State Cheese. There is a contest to name the cheese, and plans are to unveil the first batch this fall. Students are tasked with marketing the cheese to develop the packaging, the name and the logo. Lisbeth thinks the faculty, alums and attendees at football games and the like will be a huge market for the OSU cheese. Of particular interest to foodies in the valley is the program currently in place which allows independent cheese makers to come to the university to perfect their product. During our visit to OSU we met Keith Ellis who owns a local cheese company called “Cheese Louise” -- great name, great cheese! (www. cheeselouise.net) OSU recently received an $860,000 grant to support Oregon’s cheese and dairy farmers, so the booming artisan cheese market in Oregon is looking great! The creamery is a part of the food science department at OSU and, for the most part, the department focuses on products involving some kind of fermentation: cheese, wine, bread, beer, and there are even plans to set up a distillery for students to learn about making spirits. The Oregon State Creamery began early in the century and has resulted in such successful dairies as Tillamook which now sells in the neighborhood of 40 million pounds of cheese worldwide. Floyd Bodyfelt was absolutely instrumental in the development of modern dairy practices, and safety. You could say Floyd wrote the book on dairy pasteurization -- because he did. Floyd’s career has taken him all over the world to such locations as a Japanese plant producing milk chocolate for Hershey, to a primitive cheese maker in Yemen (food safety, for the most part, not practiced at the time -- judging from Floyd’s recounting of the trip.). Floyd was even called to testify at the infamous O.J. Simpson trial -- concerning semi-melted ice cream found at the crime scene (Floyd ended up not having to testify -- he is not sorry about that.) Today, the OSU Creamery is in good hands with Dr. Goddik in charge of the resurgence of the Food Science program at OSU. OSU’s Food Science program is now one of the biggest in the nation. Thankfully for us, the end result will be even more entrepreneurs making delicious products here in the valley.
Sweeties
You know how it is. You’re in the market trolling the bulk bins, and you see the rice, beans, quinoa, whatever... all sorts of staples. Staples that are pretty much inedible without some kind of preperation. Then, there it is... Toffee enrobed in dark chocolate. Now THAT looks good. But how good? Should you sample? Will the bulk bin police see you and escort you out of the store in an embarrassing scene? I’ve always wondered, and have been pretty wary of the bulk police. Fortunately, a few weeks ago I discovered where bulk candy comes from. At a Market of Choice open house, I ran into Tom Hurst of Heavenly Candy Co. in Tigard. Tom was on-hand to offer samples of his great candy. I tried a piece (or two), and arranged with Tom to visit the source and get the story. Tom started Heavenly Candy Co. with his wife, Susan in Austin, Texas. In Texas Tom was working as a musician and Susan was in computers. Tom, always having been an entrepreneur, was also in on the ground floor of the laser toner recharging business, and was in construction as well. In Texas, Tom and Susan frequented the Whole Foods Store nearby and noticed that there was no bulk candy! Earlier, Susan’s friend had shared a candy recipe with her. Susan’s friend had a father who was allergic to food additives. So, as a result, Susan’s candy recipe still has no food additives, and is just, well, heavenly! Tom asked the Whole Foods manager in Austin if they were interested in carrying a high end toffee without the extra cost of packaging. The trial run in the first Whole Foods sold out, and that was the beginning of the Heavenly Candy Company. Now Heavenly Candy Co. is found in over 80 stores and is the sole occupation of Tom and Susan. The first and still the primary product is Heavenly Candy Companies’ Toffee. Tom and Susan have added a few more item to the product line, and have some of their candies manufactured by companies who manufacture for others, but the toffee is still a top secret recipe, and is made by Tom himself in his commercially approved kitchen. Tom and Susan eventually were attracted to Oregon, for the cooler weather, and to be nearer to relatives. They are now in Tigard, and have a daughter who is a “Beaver” at Oregon State University in Corvallis. Look for their “better brittle” toffee, and treats enrobed in both milk, and dark chocolate at Market of Choice -- you’ll love it! For more information, or to inquire about carrying the Heavenly Candy Company product, call Tom at: 503-5245702 or email: info@heavenlycandy.com
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