Does a proper British style cheese need to come from England to be authentic?

That's the question we found ourselves comtemplating at William Cofield Cheesemakers in Sebastapol, CA. The complex, Stilton-inspired blue and lush, cloth-bound aged Cheddar are an Anglophile's dream come true.

For prize-winning cheesemaker Keith Adams and co-founder Rob Hunter, William Cofield Cheesemakers represents a passionate commercial and retail venture that fills a void in the marketplace. It's an experience that draws from culture, taste, and friendship to achieve a modern transparancy where "place of origin" is an inspirational additive instead of a manditory prerequisite.

At the shop within The Barlow, guests are able to see how cheese is made from start to finish — from the milk vats operating to the aging room. Adjacent to the manufacturing area, a small display case houses the shop’s own products with those of neighboring cheesemakers to create a journey through the artisan cheese world. 

William Cofield Cheesemakers is a fantastic example of co-creation, proper attribution, and experiential retail.