My latest photo shoot with Arkansas Business was very cheesy.
Literally.
I met up with and photographed Kent Walker owner and lead cheesemaker Kent Walker Artisan Cheese. I honestly didn't know that cheesemaker was an actual title but it does exist.
Walker launched a campaign in February on Kickstarter, one of the best-known crowdfunding sites, to raise $10,000 to remodel the tasting room at his location at 323 S. Cross St. in downtown Little Rock (the old Diamond Bear Beer spot) Walker makes cheese at the facility, sells his products there and holds wine and cheese tastings. You can even take a tour and see how everything is made.
You may have noticed the word "Artisan" is tossed around way too liberally in the food world. Restaurants and food manufacturers ranging from you corner fast food joint to big box brands at your local grocery store now carries something that is artisan.
The word artisan is a cross between "artist" and "craftsman" and simply means a person or company that makes a high-quality or distinctive products in small quantities, usually by hand or using traditional methods. In the time I spent at Kent Walker Artisan Cheese, EVERYTHING is made by hand. You can sit in their tasting room and watch them for yourself. You can even see Kent in the cheese cave flipping rounds of chesse, one at a time and by hand.
You can also buy his cheeses at many local spots including: Terry's Finer Foods, Hillcrest Farmers Market, The Savory Pantry and Ozark Natural Foods.
During the photo shoot, I sampled (and savored) several of his cheeses including the Garlic Montasio and Habanero Cheddar. If you're a connoisseur of fine cheeses, I highly recommend a visit.
