People seem to love their cheese.
In fact, when dieters were asked about the top five foods they’d be loath to sacrifice to drop a few pounds, cheese ranked up there with chocolate, pizza and cake.
Stephanie Beeman is well aware of this fact, but also knows that cheese can be part of a balanced diet. The lifelong Carlisle resident and cheese aficionado looked around her town, found the area lacking in cheese shops, then decided to do something about it by opening Central Wedge Cheese Shop.
She opened in April, held a grand opening in June, and explains that it’s been in the works for quite some time.
“I wrote my first business plan in 2017,” she said.
Few would argue that Beeman lacks the chops to operate a food business. She started early in life with 4-H and Future Farmers of America.
“I began attending farm markets at age 8,” she said.
One might even recognize the name since her family runs Beeman’s Baked Goods, located on Orange Street in Carlisle.
“I’ve cooked my entire life,” she said. “Working in the bakery, you learn things, and we preserved a lot of fruits and vegetables there.”
Her education in agribusiness management doesn’t hurt either. Nor does her minor in international agriculture and ag communications.
“My focus was in dairy science, so I understand what happens on farms,” she said.
After writing her first business plan, Beeman began paying attention to craft food-makers in Pennsylvania. She developed a “long list” of people she wanted to source from. She now works directly with cheese-makers—around 25 of them.
“If you don’t have that relationship, you’re flying blind as to how one differs from the other,” she said.
One such maker is Goot Essa, located in Howard, Pa., a business operated by John Esh, who for 11 years has been perfecting his craft, starting first in the basement of his farmhouse.
“It was a scrappy time, with tight margins in the beginning,” Esh said.
Over time, his cheese became so popular that he was able to build his own cheese cave and add two levels to his house as production increased. Esh sells European-style cheeses to businesses like Beeman’s: Manchego, Stilton-style bleu, tomme, Swiss, aged Camembert, pecorino and more.
In all, Beeman carries about 65 cheeses, which she says are all unique in flavor and style.
“I sell goat, cow, sheep, cashew and mixed-milk cheeses,” she said. “Finding good, quality vegan cheese is very challenging, and I’m attempting to fill that niche. There’s only one supplier in the state that is licensed and distributing wholesale.”
Beeman also sells meats like scrapple, bologna, bratwurst and beef sticks, along with a selection of grab-and-go items like ricotta gnocchi, mac and cheese, butternut squash-stuffed shells and lasagna.
“I buy squash from a local market and use fresh pasta sheets for the lasagna,” she said.
Beeman, who has a staff of two, also runs a café, offering salads, grilled cheese sandwiches and grazing boards, to name a few items. There’s seating for 12 inside her shop, so people are encouraged to stay awhile and even bring along a bottle of wine if they like.
Louis Weiss, who works nearby at the Cumberland County Historical Society, said that Beeman’s shop is a welcome addition to his lunch repertoire.
“I can walk to her shop and, for $6 to $8, buy a sandwich and a drink,” Weiss said. “So, I send lots of people there for an affordable lunch.”
Beeman has enjoyed not only meeting and tending to the needs of her customers, but sharing her knowledge.
“I enjoy helping customers pick a cheese that they will be proud to serve and sharing where that food comes from. It adds a lot to family and friend gatherings. Basically, I just like to help people party,” she said, with a chuckle.
Central Wedge Cheese Shop is located at 24 W. High St., Carlisle. For more information, visit www.centralwedgecheese.com.
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