Visitors Bureau Launches New Cache Valley Food Tour
The Cache Valley Visitors Bureau has launched the Cache Valley Food Tour, an opportunity for residents and visitors to gain insight into behind-the-scenes production of the Valley’s signature food products including honey, chocolates, cheeses, ice cream, artisan breads, jams and jellies and coffee.
Regularly scheduled presentations allow visitors to interact with local employees who will teach them about the skills, uniqueness and history of their companies and products and where possible provide tours of their facilities.
“There is a growing interest in agricultural tourism and food production and this is an effort to capitalize on the resources we have here in Cache Valley,” said Julie Hollist, director of the Cache Valley Visitors Bureau. “We live in a unique region because we’re not limited to one type of food produced here. We’re recognized for our dairy products, but we have even more to offer,” she said.
In the past, the Visitors Bureau provided a list of food companies to but recently formalized the tour to incorporate and emphasize the educational component as well, an improvement that has been well-received.
“It’s educational, it’s free and it’s enjoyable for all ages,” said Mike Bullock. “It’s a great way to spend the day experiencing the beauty and flavor of Cache Valley.”
Because the locations span from Richmond in the north to Paradise in the south, visitors can also combine the food tour with the heritage driving tour, also available at the Visitors Bureau.
The organization is working toward a Food Tour passport program so those who visit each location will also receive a souvenir reward. That component will be finalized next month.
Presentation participants are:Aggie Ice Cream and True Blue Cheese, where USU’s master ice cream and cheese makers will teach you what it takes to make famous Aggie dairy products like 30 flavors of ice cream and a variety of cheeses. They’ve been perfecting the art since the agricultural college was founded in 1888.
Bluebird Candy Company’s behind-the-scenes tour varies according to production demands. Depending on the day visitors see employees mixing copper kettles full of candy, rolling out candy centers or dipping chocolates. Space is limited.
At Caffe Ibis guests learn about the cultivation of coffee-how it’s grown, harvested, stored and roasted to ensure the ideal cup. Enjoy a sample of their daily brew. Ibis is a 35-year-old award-winning green business and custom roasting house and also features gourmet organic hot chocolates, Italian sodas and foods.
Both Casper’s production plant and Casper’s Malt Shoppe provide a 10-minute video presentation that helps you explore the creation of their famous confections. Casper Merrill invented his signature giant vanilla Fat Boy square-shaped ice cream sandwich back in 1925 and the company is also famous for its Nut Sundae on a Stick.
The Cox family are fourth generation beekeepers and at Cox Honeyland visitors find out about bees, how honey is gathered and how the Coxes create their delicious gourmet honey products. You’ll see bee equipment, including a smoker, hive tool and bee box, as well as the queen bee with her egg cells and bees making honey. They’ll show you how they fill jars of honey right out of their giant tank and let you taste some too.
Crumb Brothers Bakery provides a tour of their innovative bakery to learn how simple ingredients and handcrafted precision combine to create delicious European pastries and Old World artisan breads.
Visitors to Rockhill Creamery can sample and purchase farmstead cheese made on their historic farm, visit the micro-dairy’s five Brown Swiss cows and learn about the craft of cheesemaking.
Welcome to the Weeks Berries of Paradise working farm where visitors get a no frills look at jam and juice making, and the art of growing berries-from the difference between the varieties to what it takes to grow, harvest and transport them from their berry patches to the kitchen table. U-Pick is also available when berries are in season. The Weeks family owns the largest raspberry farm in Utah, and they are the largest black currant grower in the western United States.
For times and locations, pick up a copy of the Cache Valley Food Tour at the Cache Valley Visitors Bureau, 199 N. Main St., or request a copy by calling 435-755-1890 or visiting www.tourcachevalley.com. The Visitors Bureau is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. through Labor Day.