The Fawn at the White House State Dinner
December 1, 2022 - WASHINGTON, DC
On Thursday, December 1st, our morning was flooded with congratulatory emails, texts, and phone calls. News outlets had announced that one of our Cheddars was part of the trio of artisan cheeses to be featured at President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden’s first State Dinner for French President Emmanuel Marcon and his wife, Brigitte Marcon. Our hearts were filled with gratitude that our little company was a part of something so big.
Throughout the day, friends, colleagues, and the Deer Creek community excitedly asked us which cheese it was, to which we replied, “We don’t know!” Our team had no hand in the decision. Later that evening, we finally got word that our original bandage-wrapped Cheddar, The Fawn, was the cheese shared with the honored guests at the White House.
The Fawn had already received a lot of love in 2022, winning five awards at top competitions, including Gold for Best USA Cheese in the Mild Cheddar category of the International Cheese Awards. Ending the year at a presidential dinner made it feel even more special.
Our co-founder, Julie Gentine expressed immense honor for the First Lady and White House Executive Chef Cris Cumerford’s selection of The Fawn. Dr. Biden’s approach to the State Dinner reminded Julie of hosting inspiration from Martha Stewart: a beautiful table is a gift to your guests. She loved the choice to represent U.S. artisan cheesemaking by choosing a Blue cheese from Oregon, a goat cheese from California, and a Cheddar from Wisconsin. “It was a gorgeous mix,” she said.
“I’m just wowed that they chose The Fawn. It’s one of my personal favorites to serve to friends and family. It doesn’t overpower, it doesn’t overwhelm. It’s a very elegant cheese,” she said. “I would have loved to be at the event to see the smiles of everyone who attended, and to know what people thought of the cheese as they tried it. We truly hope that everyone enjoyed it.”
Julie shared that she feels The Fawn has a subtle, gracious presence. We often describe the flavor of The Fawn as mellow and nutty, with undertones of slightly fruity, butterscotchy sweetness. It also tastes like a feeling—think brunch with friends, a sunny spring day, a hug from your grandmother, and kindness from a stranger. It’s the perfect cheese for candlelit gatherings and celebrations of firsts.
President Biden’s remark that the State Dinner celebrated our nation’s first friend stirred feelings of nostalgia in the heart of our founder, Chris Gentine. With that thought in mind, Chris reminisced on the early days of The Fawn’s creation.
The Fawn was born out of an experiment with affinage style. Using the recipe for Vat 17, Chris aged the culture-filled curds in 22lb bandage-wrapped and waxed daisy wheels in poplar wood boxes. He had become increasingly interested in appreciating old-world cheese making techniques, and The Fawn was his initial kick at the can.
“The first time I tried The Fawn, all I could think of was: wow, this would go great with fresh Door County cherries and a great Pinot Noir or Chardonnay. It’s a simple pairing, but that makes it special,” he said.
Chris also quickly realized that The Fawn was not only a great board cheese, but a great culinary cheese. His first at-home recipe was what he called an Alpine-style pizza. “I added olive oil and pressed garlic to a pre-made pizza crust, then a shredded layer of the cheese, fresh shallots, whole spears of fresh asparagus, and an egg cracked in the middle. When it was done, I topped it with spring greens. I was like, okay, this is great.”
Our team at Deer Creek is still reeling from the privilege of being a part of the State Dinner. We are so proud that the cheese we share with you every day was considered a fine representation of goodness and creativity from the heart of the United States. A million thank you’s are not enough to express our appreciation to all who helped us get to this point.