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This Town Is a Must-Visit for Cheese Lovers — And it’s Not in Wisconsin

If you love cheese, you must plan a trip to this charming, cheese-filled town ASAP.

By Sarah Kuta on January 19, 2024

Cheese Importers Longmont CO
Photo courtesy of Cheese Importers

When you think of cheese destinations, your mind probably flashes first to the charming small towns dotting the countryside of Wisconsin, where curds outnumber people 50,000 to one.

Or perhaps you think about some of the famous creameries based along the coast of northern California and sold in grocery store cases nationwide.

You probably don’t think of Longmont, Colorado, but as a resident and a cheese lover, I’m here to tell you that you should.

Longmont is a veritable cheese-lovers paradise. In addition to being a charming, affordable city with easy access to Denver, Longmont has some incredible cheese offerings for people who just can’t get enough of the gouda stuff (see what we did there?).

Exterior shot of Cheese Importers in Longmont, Colorado. The business has been around since 1976 and is a combination of French bistro, European-inspired marketplace and epic cheese shop all in one.
Erin Helzer

The headliner of Longmont’s cheese attraction line-up? The family-owned Cheese Importers, which has been around since 1976, combines a European-inspired marketplace and epic cheese shop all in one.

The folks here take cheese very seriously.

Samm White, one of the co-owners of Cheese Importers, went so far as to call cheese “a wonderful, magical, love powerhouse of a food.” Have you ever heard a more apt description of cheese?

Hands down, the best part about visiting Cheese Importers is walking into the massive walk-in refrigerator filled floor to ceiling with more than 350 different types of cheeses available for purchase (it’s reportedly the largest in Colorado). Imagine a “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids” scenario where you get to wander through a life-size version of your local grocery store’s cheese cooler, and you get the idea of what a trip to Cheese Importers is like (they even have cozy parkas hanging up to wear if you get cold!).

Longmont Cheese Importers
Erin Helzer

If literally being surrounded by cheese is your idea of heaven, you’ll want to consider making a pilgrimage to Longmont just for this experience at Cheese Importers alone — it’s truly magical.

Longmont’s cheese offerings don’t stop there: the city is also home to The Art of Cheese, which offers regular classes and events ranging from cheesemaking “boot camp” to creamery tours. You’ll get to meet other turophiles (a fancy word for cheese connoisseur — hey, now you know!) while learning how to make mozzarella, ricotta, burrata, cheese curds, feta and tons of other varieties. Some of the classes are farm-to-table, meaning you’ll get to meet and milk dairy goats, learn about pasteurization and tour a farm before making your own cheese.

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Haystack Mountain Cheese

Is your mouth watering yet? It’s time to plan a cheese pilgrimage to Longmont. We’ll bring the crackers, you bring the wine.

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