Wow…what a wild ride it’s been!  The reception we’ve received from our local community has been amazing.  It seems there are a lot of people in Southern Pines and the surrounding areas who are really excited about cheese and our concept for the shop — and we couldn’t be happier.

I’m honestly not overstating when I say that this has been a dream come true for us.  We still get a little thrill every single morning when we unlock the door and walk into the shop.  We love chatting with customers about cheese, food-in-general, their stories, our stories and what’s going on locally as well as globally.

We’ve learned A LOT in the past two weeks, and we continue to learn daily.  We’ve still got some kinks to work out, for sure, but I hope we’ll always challenge ourselves to improve what we’re doing and how we’re doing it.

In fact, I’m planning to challenge myself to blog and post to Facebook more regularly now that we’re starting to get into our groove in the shop.  More news about cheeses and other products you can find at Southern Whey, as well as general info and tips related to questions we hear.

We can’t thank everyone enough for their support to date.  The folks who shop with us (we’re starting to see some “regulars!”), the folks who spread the word about us (BIG thank-you to Ted Natt for writing about us in The Pilot) and the folks who just pop in to say hello and welcome us to Broad Street.

Here are two fun highlights from our first two weeks:

Kimberly Daniels — who runs The Country Bookshop in downtown Southern Pines, the cutest and most personable bookstore on the planet — came in to buy some cheese and I complimented the ring she was wearing which had an illustration of a cow jumping over the moon.  She immediately took off the ring and told me I had to have it since it featured a cow and I had a cheese shop!  She wouldn’t take “no” for an answer, and I am now the proud owner of an awesome, new ring — courtesy of Kimberly.  (Pssst…if you’d like a similar one for yourself, head to Artist Alley on East New Hampshire Ave.)

And one morning last week, after a long day and a previous late night at the shop, we arrived downtown to find the sweetest little ceramic sign hanging from our doorknob that read, “Best Wishes.”  There was no note, no name and to this day we still don’t know who left it.  But it totally made our day, and we display it proudly in the shop.  We feel very lucky to be a part of this great community.

We’re super busy getting ready to open Southern Whey and since everyone is buzzing about the Oscars, we’ve been thinking about “cheesy movie lines” because at Southern Whey, we love a good film. Truth be told, we like dramas, chick-flicks and romantic comedies equally. Don’t judge!

So we had a little brainstorming session with our movie-lovin’ pal (and Southern Whey PR consultant) Jennifer Maguire Coughlin and asked her to “cheese up” what we feel are The Best Movie Lines Ever. Check them out…
 

THE BEST MOVIE LINES EVER: CHEESE-TASTIC EDITION

I feel the need, the need for cheese. - Top Gun

Frankly my dear, I don’t give Edam.  - Gone With The Wind

You make me want to be a better Manchego. - As Good As It Gets

Here’s looking at you, curd. - Casablanca

I’m gonna make him a Mozzarella he can’t refuse. - The Godfather

I coulda had class. I coulda been a Cheddar. - On the Waterfront

Nobody puts Burrata in a corner. - Dirty Dancing

Say hello to my little Feta! - Scarface

I love the smell of Epoisses in the morning. - Apocolypse Now

Love means never having to say you’re Stilton. - Love Story

Cheese, for lack of a better word, is good. - Wall Street

I’m just a girl, looking at a boy, trying to make him love Comte. - Notting Hill

Which would be worse - To live as a Munster or to die as a good man? - Shutter Island

It’s our love of All Things Cheese that helped us to make this list and we had lots of fun! So, what’s your favorite (cheesy) movie line?

Whew!  January has been a whirlwind, for sure.  Our space at 205 NE Broad Street has come a LONG way in a relatively short time.  What the space initially lacked in plumbing and electrical requirements – as well as some aesthetic niceties – it more than makes up for in good bones (a beautiful tin ceiling), interesting history (locals continue to share their memories of various businesses that resided on this corner) and outstanding location (‘nuff said).

Most noticeably, we recently returned a window to the New Hampshire Avenue side of the building that had been bricked over for several decades.  The single pane glass harkens back to the building’s former life as Hamel’s restaurant, as you can see in the interior photo below.

We are extremely excited to restore and upgrade such a prominent location in the Southern Pines downtown business district.  And we couldn’t have done it without Scott Thomas and Brandon Goodman of Red/Brand Homes, who have overseen all of the interior and exterior construction.  Scott, Brandon and their crews are top-notch in the building biz.   

Look for a new front door and newly painted exterior trim very soon.  With as much as we’ve gotten done to date, we still have work to do – and as they say, “anything worth doing is worth doing right.”  So while we had hoped to open in January, we’re now planning a February opening instead. 

Stay tuned for all the details… 

You might be thinking this post is about the house-made cheese balls we’re offering locally, now through December 22, and it is…sort of. 

Both flavors are dee-licious (if I do say so, myself) – a Southern take on the classic cheddar cheese ball (we Southerners like our pimentos), as well as a rich, pungent blue cheese option.  Add to both, crispy bits of country ham and candied nuts…um, what more can I say?  You can find all the details on our Facebook page, or contact me with any questions.

So yes, this post is about the cheese balls, and how excited I am to bring a taste of Southern Whey to the Sandhills before we open after the first of the year.  But it’s also about how excited I am about everything having to do with the shop and launching my own business in my hometown.  I’m truly, having a ball.

Don’t get me wrong – it’s a lot of hard work; with a fair amount of anxiety mixed in.  I recently came across a very relatable quote by Henry Ward Beecher:  “It’s not the work that kills people, it’s the worry.”  I’m sure any entrepreneur would toast to that.

But I’m also reminded every single day how much FUN this is.  I’ve met the most amazing, kind, generous, smart, passionate and funny people on this journey – and the best part is that the journey has only begun.  I continue to learn something every single day that I never expected I’d ever want or need to know – about building codes, construction lead-times, distributor networks, seasonal shipping restrictions, supplemental bee feeding, couverture chocolate, protected food names, ratios of cream to milk, rotational grazing, heritage breeds, environmental sustainability, farm to table and so, so much more.

So in the spirit of this holiday season, I want to take this opportunity – a first of many more to come – to thank everyone who has helped me along this path in any way, large or small. Family, friends, friends-who-practically-are-family and total strangers.  I think (or hope) you know who you are, and I also hope I have the opportunity to repay your kindness and generosity in the very near future.

Now go order a cheese ball, Everybody.

Lots of folks have been asking when we’ll be opening, and the answer is not until after the first of the year.  BUT, if you’re in the Sandhills — or can get to the Sandhills — we’re now offering an early taste of Southern Whey with house-made cheese balls.   

It’s a fresh take on a holiday favorite –- two flavors, made by hand with just a few, delicious, all-natural ingredients.  No cream cheese, nothing processed and no “fillers” -– just real, cheesy goodness.  Each ball will be approximately four inches round and sell for $15.

Cheddar:  Our Southern interpretation of a classic…

A three-year Cheddar and full-cream Gouda, both from Wisconsin, are combined with butter-like Kenny’s St. Jerome from Kentucky.  The cheeses are hand-grated, gently blended with chopped pimentos and a smidge of coarse mustard, then topped-off with crispy, cured ham from Johnston County and toasted maple-pecans.

Blue Cheese:  If you love blue, this cheese ball’s for you…

A crumbly Stilton — hailing from one of only six dairies in England licensed to make this name-protected cheese — meets hand-grated full-cream Gouda from Wisconsin and butter-like Kenny’s St. Jerome from Kentucky.  The three cheeses are firmly pressed to mingle the flavors then dressed in crispy, cured ham from Johnston County with toasted walnut and dried fig candy.

To place your order, e-mail us at susan@southernwhey.com or call (910) 692-6329.  Each cheese ball is MADE TO ORDER and will be available for pick-up at the newly opened Good Day Café (located at 169 NE Broad Street, between East New Hampshire and Pennsylvania Aves) between 12-3pm on each of the days listed below:

• Orders placed by Friday, Dec. 9 will be available for pick-up Saturday, Dec. 10.
• Orders placed by Friday, Dec. 16 will be available for pick-up Saturday, Dec. 17.
• Orders placed by Wednesday, Dec. 21 will be available for pick-up Thursday, Dec. 22.

So stop by Good Day Café on Saturday –- have lunch (their soups are terrific), sample a cheese ball and say hello; I’ll be there from 12-3pm.  We’ll also have a limited number of cheese balls available for “cash and carry” during these pick-up times, as well.

We’re super-busy getting ready to open the shop so we’re only making a limited number of cheese balls this year — and we’re only taking orders until the 21^st of December, so place yours soon!

Welcome to the Southern Whey blog.  My name is Susan, and I’m the owner of Southern Whey – what soon will be a shop featuring American farmstead and artisan cheese, a variety of cured meats and other foodstuff.  We’re located in historic, downtown Southern Pines, NC and slated to open in January 2012. 

The core concept for my shop is rooted in the tradition of “the community grocer” – once commonplace in cities and towns across the U.S.  The sort of place where you know (and trust) the people behind the counter; and they know both you, and the products they’re selling.  Where the selection is fresh, interesting, prepared to order and sourced as close to home as possible.  And all this in a spot that’s welcoming, without pretension and tangibly invested in the local community.

Apparently, back in the 1950s and 60s there were three different markets located in the heart of downtown Southern Pines – McAlister & Hobbs, Blue’s Market and Bakers.  With my personal curiosity piqued on this subject, I’ve been trying to track down information on these businesses but have been largely unsuccessful.  If you happen to have any info or photos you’d like to share, please leave a note for me via the “Ask Me Anything” link up top.

And speaking of “Ask Me Anything” – let me know what you think of the concept, if there are specific items you’d like to see stocked, or if you have any other suggestions for me.  I hope you’ll check back here for regular updates about my plan, progress and what you can expect from Southern Whey.  You also can follow me on Facebook and Twitter.

See you downtown soon…