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It's November! Which means it is almost time for Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving, Girlsgiving and everything in between. No matter who you celebrate breaking bread with, we all know that what you bring to the table (literally) says who you are as a person. Our recommendation for dinner? Park City Creamery of course! We sat down with owner Corinne Zinn to hear how she got her start making her delicious cheeses and her recommended pairings that will definitely be the star of any table.
UMLF: Corinne, tell us about your background and why you started Park City Creamery? Corinne: When I moved to the US 15 years ago in the beautiful region of The North Fork, between all the vineyards, I was missing my European cheeses. There were a lot of good wines but no one was making cheeses. Coming from Belgium I used to organize wine and cheese pairings in Brussels quite often. There you could find cheese stores in every corner of every street and finding myself surrounded by vineyards and no cheeses I needed to do something about that! So I started to research online and connected with some French cheese makers and farmers and started to buy goat milk from a local farm and following the advice from the knowledgeable French cheesemakers I started to make some small batches of goat cheeses. I started out just giving it my family and friends, until I decided to bring some to Leroux Creek Inn and Maison La Belle Vie, two French Vineyard in Colorado, FROMAGE !! They got very excited about it and started my little farm business, called then Roubideau Farm to You - We could see the Roubideau Canyon from our farm (canyon named from Antoine Roubideau - Fur trapper in 1828). So I was buying my milk from a local farmer who couldn't keep up and told me I should buy my own goats so I ended up with a herd of 50 goats...Unfortunately I got divorced and had to sell my goats and farm which was bought by a farmer in Midway UT. I told him since he is buying my goats I would help him to create his cheese business and work as a consultant for Duval Farm in Midway. Deer Valley Resorts was buying our cheeses and after a while proposed me joining the Deer Valley Team and create Deer Valley Artisan cheeses. I worked as a cheesemaker for Deer Valley for four years until the resort was sold and they decided not to pursue the cheese program. Our cheese was already in numerous stores in Utah and my customers were sad to lose such a great product, that's when after brainstorming with friends and my new husband I decided to launch Park City Creamery and create authentic products using premium goat milk and cow milk sourced locally. Our goat milk comes from Drake Farms and our cow milk from Redmond Heritage Farms. UMLF: You have some really unique flavors, how do you come up with them? Corinne: My choices come from the type of cheeses I really like. I wanted to create an authentic product, unique to Utah Terroir. The flavors of the cheese itself comes from the biodiversity of our lands, our beautiful mountains, grass, flowers the cows and goats have access to in Utah. I choose milk that is not standardised, which gives a variety of different flavors throughout the seasons as the cow gets more fresh grass in the spring and fall. I get an unusual floral taste with a mix of banana and pear smell, this is really unique from Utah terroir. Adding truffles, the black diamond of gastronomy, to my brie gave a more mushroomy taste, that is very well like by gourmet palates. Silver Queen, goat cheese with ash, is an old recipe in France, they used the ash before the refrigeration to preserve the cheeses. The ash neutralized the surface and kept harmful insects away. Its coming from one of my favorite cheeses made in France, Sainte-Maure de Touraine and Selles sur Cher, the Silver Queen is my own version of my favorite goat cheeses. Utahn seem to like it to as it recently got Best of Show at the Utah Cheese Awards. UMLF: What are some of your favorite pairings with your cheese? Corinne: To help my customers with pairing each cheese label has its own pairing suggestions.
UMLF: You recently won big in the Utah Cheese Awards, tell us about that! Corrine: That is such an honor to get nominated Best Cheese of Utah just after 6 months of starting our company! We took home Best of Show for our Silver Queen Ash Goat Cheese, Bronze for our Treasure Brie, and a silver medal for our Hidden Treasure Brie with Truffle! Knowing Utahn loves what we do is the best rewards of our hard work. UMLF: Every business has its highs and lows. Tell us about a challenge you faced as a small business owner and how you overcame it? Corinne: Our big challenge right now is to be able to produce enough as the demand is growing and get enough cash flow to buy more equipments, more milk to keep up with the demands. The SBA and the Utah Microloan Fund have been such an huge help in advising us and helping us with cash flow. Sometimes you get stuck in your own mind and need to brainstorming with fellow business people to find a solution, it makes such a difference to have access to these resources! UMLF: How do you believe the Utah Microloan Fund has helped you and your business? Corinne: The UMLF has been an amazing help, from advise to get the cash flow I needed, it all brought a big peace of mind. I was so stressed out, getting lots of orders and seeing my cash flow going down waiting for my customers to pay, which take 30 days in the food business. The UMLF came up with a solution and got the help I needed in just a few days. Easy process, great knowledgeable people. I really recommend every new start-up to consult them. They will answer all the questions that keep you awake at night! UMLF: Tell us where we can find your products? Corinne: Our cheeses can be found in Harmon's and Caputo in Salt Lake City. In Park City we are available at The Market, Element kitchen, Provisions on Main, Copper Moose Farm. We are also in restaurants like the Montage, Hearth and Hill, Firewood, Courchevel, Boneyard, and Riverhorse. In Moab we are sold at the Moon Flower co-op store. A priori (Caputo distribution company) is distributing the cheeses in many restaurants in Utah Lastly caterings companies LUX catering, Ellie's kitchen, Sweet and Cheese and Maven Oak Creative Platters use our cheese as well. To visit Park City Creamery or to find a local stockist visit:
 This isn't a trick, the Loaf makes amazing organic, paleo and gluten-free breads and cookies that are definitely a treat! We bet you have tried a gluten-free treat in your lifetime that left a little something to be desired. Well not so with the delicious offerings from the Loaf! We sat down with owner and founder Johanna Dasteel to find out about why she started the Loaf and her philosophy behind why conscientious consumers deserve to enjoy tasty food!
UMLF: Johanna, tell us about your background and why you started the Loaf. Johanna: I started The Loaf because so many people I love were struggling to find organic, delicious food without grains, dairy, or other inflammatory ingredients. What began as baking for myself turned into baking for friends, family...and now for for all of my customers! Introducing The Loaf: the first and only certified organic & paleo bread company in the country. We go beyond paleo: you'll never find gums, yeast, psyllium husk, flax, additives, or preservatives. Treat yourself while loving your body! UMLF: You are both certified organic and gluten free. That’s awesome! Why is this important to the Loaf? Johanna: The Paleo way of eating prioritizes organic over conventional food, yet none of the paleo breads on the market were certified organic until I founded The Loaf. I was looking for products like mine in the grocery store and it turns out that a lot of other people were looking for the same thing! All of The Loaf’s products are made in a dedicated gluten-free facility so as to avoid cross-contamination with gluten-containing ingredients. Many, many of my customers have Celiac’s Disease and are very allergic to gluten. So, producing our products in a dedicated facility is critical for our customers. UMLF: Every business has its highs and lows. Tell us about a challenge you faced as a small business owner and how you overcame it? Johanna: Great question! There are so many instances to choose from - it seems like I ride highs and lows day-to-day. Reaching my customer base has been a big, continuing challenge. You can put up a website and set up operations, but breaking through the Google SEO system and getting into stores is not as straight-forward as it may seem. In order to reach my customers, I stayed focus, incorporated the feedback of retail buyers I was pitching my products to, enlisted the services of marketing and advertising professionals, and pursued accounts with a dogged determination. I’ve even pinged buyers more than 20 times - emails, phone calls, office visits - before receiving a response or setting up an account . At some point, the buyers start coming to you, but you have to make a reputation for yourself and prove your concept and your sales before that happens. Persistence is crucial. UMLF: How do you believe the Utah Microloan Fund has helped you and your business? Johanna: UMLF came through with funding for me without which I wouldn’t have been able to finance the growth that my business needed at a critical time. I didn’t qualify for conventional business loans at the time and am incredibly grateful for the kind of funding that UMLF offers as well as their continued support and services. UMLF: Tell us where we can find your products? Johanna: Thanks for asking! You can find my products in Utah at Liberty Heights Fresh, Liberty Park Farmer's Market, Downtown Farmer's Market, Three Pines Coffee, The Market at Park City, Redmond Heritage Farm Stores, and Erewhon, a change of organic grocery stores in Los Angeles. You will soon be able to find us at HelloBulk Market in Salt Lake City and Whole Foods throughout the Rocky Mountain Region. You can also order our products through our website: www.theloafgrainfree.com. We ship nationwide! To buy online or to find a local stockist visit:
 School is back in session and families are busier than ever. From parents working, carpools to and from school, sports, dance practice, church activities, family outings, errands and shopping, the grind never ends! So who is there for busy families who need a break? AJ's Treehouse! AJ's Treehouse is the Salt Lake valley's premier drop-in childcare located in Sandy, Utah. AJ's is a parent's dream because they are open late and weekends and no reservation is necessary. In addition, they offer a dynamic preschool program focused on engaged learning for children two and up. Whether you need a few hours or the whole day, AJ's is the perfect place for children to learn, grow and play. We sat down with owner Angela Hill to get the scoop on the treehouse, her passion for children's learning and why she felt her business was necessary for Utah parents.
UMLF: Angela what inspired you to start AJ’s Treehouse? Angela: As a single mother, I know firsthand the challenges of trying to find quality childcare for my family. Years ago, I had to move across the country for my job and I knew no one in the area. It was such a challenge to be able to work, run errands and even clean my house without reliable childcare for my daughter. I then finally discovered an hourly, drop-in daycare facility in the area and it changed my life. I then wondered why there weren't more of these options for busy parents like me. When I returned to Utah I discovered there was only one drop-in place in the entire state and I knew right then that there needed to be more. I opened AJ's in March of 2017 and it has felt amazing to provide this service to my community and a great experience getting to know all of these families. The best part is I get to be with my daughter every day as well. UMLF: What makes you different from other childcare providers in the area? Angela: There are three big factors I believe set AJ's apart. First is our flexibility, we offer drop-in and hourly childcare so you don't have to pay for an entire day if you only need a couple of hours. We are also awesome because if you are in a pinch, there is no reservation necessary. Secondly, we offer discounts for families with multiple children who attend our center because we know how costly it can be. Thirdly, we offer preschool for children two and up. So not only are your children playing with friends they are also learning while they are at our center. UMLF: Tell us about your center, and why kids love to come play? Angela: The thing that I love about our center is that there is a lot of different options for kids to choose from. We have an interactive game that is projected onto the floor, a life-size treehouse, a hands-on creativity corner, an art area, tons of books to choose from, a playhouse and more. So no matter what your child is into it, they will be learning and entertained. They will also make fast friends! UMLF: You obviously have a lot of happy families coming back again and again to your center. What is your favorite feedback you have ever received? Angela: I love when parents tell me that we saved their lives because it was short notice and they all of the sudden needed help with their children and we were able to be there. It could be something fell through, a medical emergency, really anything and we have been there for these families. It really makes me and my staff feel so rewarded. UMLF: Every business has its highs and lows. Tell us about a challenge you faced as a small business owner and how you overcame it? Angela: If I could do things over again, my advice would be to get a good, reputable accountant right out of the gate and not rely on friends to help you. I trusted the wrong people and it ended up getting me into trouble. I would also tell other business owners to really take advantage of the free classes and resources that are out there. Lastly, I would tell people to work on their business every single day. UMLF: How do you believe the Utah Microloan Fund has helped you and your business? Angela: Where do I even begin? The UMLF not only provided the funds to start and then grow my business but then they also became incredibly invested in my success. They offer classes as well as a dedicated person on their team that will help me with anything I need. I even went through their Banking on Women program. Banking on Women was so helpful because it gave me more insight into building a business, an awesome group of women that supports one another and it gave me the confidence to be an entrepreneur. UMLF: And lastly for fun, if you were a Crayola crayon, what color would you be and why? Angela: I think Vivid Violet! I love purple and it has always been my favorite color. :) To stay in touch with AJ's Treehouse visit:
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