The first-ever Cabot official sampling station, newly named as the Quechee General Store is now open now in the Quechee Gorge Village.

“Our store features the complete collection of Cabot products, along with the area’s largest assortment of maple syrup, artisanal food products, and Vermont-made beer, wines, and ciders,” said Angela Moore, co-owner of the Quechee General Store. Cindy and Mark Walker, owners of the Antique Mall, are the other co-owners.

Cabot helped to forge its destination to the Village, according to Cabot CEO Bill Beaton, who announced with Cindy Walker. The journey began just as COVID-19 struck, and the new owners spent their first few months reorganizing the store to comply with social distancing and safety guidelines. They re-opened in mid-June and are happy to say that business continues to grow weekly.

“We’re honored to be selected as Cabot’s official sampling station,” said Walker. “Our neighbors won’t notice any difference in the spirit of our store. We’re spruced up and changed up how we feature products. And our sign overhead has changed. We’re taking on the Vermont specialty foods and spirits just as Cabot sourced.”

Sampling plans are in the works, and details will be announced as regional dining and visitor restrictions are lifted.

The store will also feature gift and home accents, puzzles, and a collection of cheese-related table accents. Small local farms are represented along with such Vermont brands as Blake Hill, Sugar Bob’s, and April’s Maple.

Beaton acknowledged the “wonderful” assortment of Cabot products and said, “we couldn’t be prouder that this team wants to carry on our basic marketing tool of cheese sampling.”

“Vermont has been essential to our farmers’ brand growth, and the Quechee General Store team will make sure that Cabot and a wide range of specialty foods and spirits continue to benefit from sales and sampling Quechee,” Beaton said.

Cabot Creamery Co-operative has been in continuous operation in Vermont since 1919. It makes a full line of cheeses, Greek yogurt, sour cream, cottage cheese, and butter, according to Erica Burke, General Manager of Cabot’s retail stores.

Widely known as members of “The World’s Best Cheddar” and the first cheese company certified as B Corps, Cabot is owned by the 800 dairy farm families of Agri-Mark, the northeast’s premier dairy cooperative, with farms located throughout New England and upstate New York, according to the Cabot website.

The farmers are grateful to this new team’s commitment to the Quechee merchants and region as the new owners expressed their appreciation to the farmers of the Co-operative for their foresight.