Our Story
More than just cheese…
As so many great stories begin, Cheese Importers is a story of love, family and cheese…
Linda and Lyman White, the founders and visionaries of Cheese Importers, met aboard the Queen Elizabeth sailing to Europe where Lyman intended to backpack and Linda planned to study art history and French. After a whirlwind romance they parted ways when the ship docked in England, only to run into each other on a small street in Paris 3 weeks later. This was the beginning of their love story but also where they discovered their mutual love of quality food. When they returned to the USA, Lyman and Linda wanted to create a space where their community could find high quality, natural food like they had experienced abroad.
After two decades in the natural foods industry, Lyman and Linda noticed a growing awareness among consumers about what they were eating. The cheese industry, like many others, had fallen victim to overprocessing and mechanization. By the 1960s, more than 90% of all cheese sold in the U.S. was “processed.” At one point, we counted over 60 different varieties of processed cheese! Back then, the cheeses available for sale were dull and bland at best. The average American had no concept of ‘cheese and wine pairings’ or had the opportunity to try any locally produced farmstead cheeses.
Like many family businesses, Cheese Importers was started with very little money and a lot of heart. The basic plan was to hand-select and deliver high quality, imported and domestic cheese to shops, café’s and co-ops along the Colorado front-range. Things were slow and simple at first, they worked long hours cutting blocks of cheddar, turning out wheels of parmesan, and making deliveries in an old VW bus. Luckily, and to the family’s surprise, within a year retail customers were knocking on the warehouse door having heard of our quality products, they wanted to buy direct.
Over the last 49 years, retail sales have blossomed and we now have an entire store filled to the brim of beautiful imported goodies including French perfume, high-end cookware, unique children’s toys and so much more! We have also widely expanded our offerings of gourmet foods such as oils, spices, olives, pastas, the list goes on. Every room tells a story, bringing you to the lavender fields of Provence, pasta shops of Tuscany, German candy stalls and the best Fromagerie’s of Europe and beyond! Our wholesale base has grown and includes hundreds of Colorado’s best restaurants, natural grocers, co-ops, and more!