Nordic Creamery

Supplier Since: 2010

Location: Westby, WI, 20 miles from La Crosse

Nordic Creamery has been working with PFC—La Crosse for about ten years. Sarah and Al Bekkum make cheese on the Westby dairy farm that Al’s great-grandparents, immigrants from Norway, founded in 1917.

Sarah Bekkum reports that this is what happens when a farm girl marries a cheesemaker. They started a creamery. They were married 17 years ago and started Nordic Creamery a few years later.

They work with other family farms who have small herds. These are grass-fed, grazing herds. Sarah finds that the grassfed summer milk creates the most amazing flavor in their cheese.

They’re particular about the milk supply for their cheese. “The milk’s flavor profile directly affects your cheese,” as Sarah says. “You need good milk to make good cheese.”

Al has won numerous awards for his cheese- and butter-making skills. The ready availability of fresh milk gives him plenty of material with which to work.

Besides milk cheeses, Nordic Creamery also makes goatcheeses and cow and goat milk blends, such as their Capriko Cheese.

We’re fortunate to feature many of Nordic Creamery’s fine cheeses in both stores.