Utah’s Beehive Cheese is buzzing as 2nd generation takes over the reins
Nathan Stevenson and Dustin Stoddard work with curd at Beehive Cheese, a second generation family-owned business, in Uintah, Weber County, on Tuesday, May 2, 2023. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News
Utah State University’s expertise when it comes to dialing-in on delightful dairy products may be the state’s worst kept secret (scoop of Aggie ice cream, anyone?) but it’s a body of accomplishments born from over a century of research, development and good old-fashioned tinkering.
But while the cold, creamy goodness of Bull Tracks or Blue Mint may be sigh-inducingly familiar to many, the school’s perhaps lesser-known cheesemaking legacy also tracks back to the 19th century founding of the land-grant university.
That knowledge base is one that USU has propelled into the world far beyond its Logan campus, thanks to a long-running program that’s offered twice-yearly cheesemaking classes to members of the public, be they accomplished fromagers or just curious newbies.
And that’s exactly where Utah’s multiaward-winning specialty cheesemaker Beehive Cheese got its start almost 20 years ago when founders (and brothers-in-law) Pat Ford and Tim Welsh walked away from careers in real estate and computer software, respectively, to begin again in the world of cheese.
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Katie Schall talks about the aging process of cheese at Beehive Cheese, a second generation family-owned business, in Uintah, Weber County, on Tuesday, May 2, 2023. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News
Now, the progeny of Pat and Tim are moving into leadership positions at the company while the founders stay very much involved with operations, as Beehive continues to expand its product offerings, customer reach and medal count.
Oliver Ford, son of Pat Ford and currently Beehive’s director of sales, recalls first hearing about his father and uncle deciding to recompute their work lives and launch a cheesemaking company entirely from scratch in 2005.
“It was kind of a shock for me when my dad came home…
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