Healdsburg, Calif.-based CHEVOO announced it has been acquired by Belle Chevre, a goat cheese producer with more than 30 years of success handcrafting cream cheese-style spreads, logs and other chevre-based products. By adding CHEVOO’s iconic range of marinated goat cheeses to its current line-up of items, Belle Chevre will expand its position in the specialty cheese section, the Elkmont, Ala.-based company says.
Unlike other marinated cheeses, CHEVOO is crafted using two infusion processes — the goat cheese is hand-blended with herbs and spices while the Extra Virgin Olive Oil blend is steeped for several weeks with crushed botanicals.
CHEVOO’s product range consists of five flavors of marinated chevre cubes, including new Herbes de Provence, all sold in 4-oz glass jars:
• Smoked Salt & Rosemary: Goat cheese mixed with smoked sea salt and cracked pepper, in a rosemary-infused EVOO blend.
• Dill Pollen & Garlic: Goat cheese combined with locally harvested dill pollen, in a garlic-infused EVOO blend.
• Urfa Chili & Lemon: Goat cheese incorporated with Urfa chili peppers, marinated in a lemon-infused EVOO blend.
• Italian Black Truffle: Italian black truffles have been gently folded through the goat cheese, naturally infusing the neutral EVOO blend with the earthiness of the aromatic truffles.
• Herbes de Provence: After mixing the classic, aromatic French culinary herbs through the goat cheese, it is then paired with an EVOO blend that has been lightly infused with garlic.
When CHEVOO ceased its activities in California earlier this year, Foster McDonald, Belle Chevre’s CEO and owner since 2019, saw an opportunity to further develop his company’s offering in the artisanal goat cheese market.
“As someone passionate about innovation in the goat cheese industry, I was always enamored with the CHEVOO brand,” McDonald begins. “The unique flavor combinations are a result of not only flavoring the oils, but hand-blending the goat cheese with herbs and spices, too. I think this full dimension of flavor is truly what sets CHEVOO apart.”
An entrepreneur in spirit and successful owner/operator of several businesses in his native Alabama for over 35 years, McDonald has expanded his team to include cheese industry veteran Pierre Guérin as a strategic business partner with sales and marketing as his primary focus.
With 25 years of expertise in the specialty food industry, Guérin has worked for CPG companies in North America and Europe, notably as president of Couturier North America, the U.S, subsidiary of Eurial, the largest producer of goat cheese in the world.
Guérin has also held various positions at Savencia and Andros (Bonne Maman) and is currently working with La Fromagerie Henri Hutin to develop its Brie sales in the US. “It’s exciting to join Foster and the Belle Chevre team for this new adventure,” Guérin states. “I’m pleased to restart a brand that has flourished for many years in a category that continues to see consistent growth.”
