How we got there...NEW Parmesan & Herb Piedmont Pennies

It's overwhelming to say the least.

My Grandbetty's cherished recipe - that became my MBA class project - and is now a product our entire company is based on.

We know the importance of new flavor launches and keeping our Penny Pals' trust. Each flavor is tested, developed, and executed with extreme precision. 

In 2021, we iterated (a little) and developed our Spicy Chipotle Cheddar flavor, to give our Penny Pals the "little more kick!" they asked for. We didn't stray far from the Original Sharp Cheddar recipe, just followed our customers' taste buds to create something they'd enjoy.

Never have we tinkered with the recipe to change cheeses and the overall flavor profile - until now.

 

How we developed the new Parmesan & Herb Penny

In our minds, the most important values in recipe development are to provide our Penny Pals with 1) a delicious quality product at an 2) affordable value. Everything else will follow.

But where do you even begin when coming up with a new Pennies' flavor?

We weren't sure, but we got to work.

First, we tested the foundation of the Penny - the cheese(s). We tested different cheeses (Asiago, Colby Jack, Mozzarella, Parmesan, White Cheddar etc.), different combinations of cheeses, and different proportions of cheeses to one another (confused yet?).

For Penny Pal input, we did several test batches with friends and family and threw in sample bags with orders placed at piedmontpennies.com. We even asked other small businesses to provide feedback - the more the merrier! Lol at James' response... 

Even the family helped! Check out this candid video of Coble and Finn taste testing in our backyard). If you aren't subscribed to our newsletter, you should here! Help us sample our next flavor!

June 2023: I took Penny samples to Italy, to try alongside Italian wines and cheeses. I had a clear favorite... 

We landed on a balanced parmesan and white cheddar - that melted well, but most importantly, left a savory, pleasing aftertaste with every bite.

Once the cheeses and their proportions were confirmed, we experimented with freshly dried herbs (rosemary, lavender, sage, parsley, thyme, onion, garlic, etc.). The variations in taste, textures, and suppliers were endless.

Our Penny Pals were candid. Not huge fans of the lavender. Favored the dried Italian herbs over Provencal. 

We got feedback via forms, made adjustments to the recipe, and asked for feedback again.

Back at the kitchen, Lauren added complements of minced garlic and onion to round out the flavor. *Chef's kiss* 

Drooling yet?

Once the recipe was confirmed, we identified vendors to source the finest ingredients, local where possible, in order to develop our nutritional panel and ingredients list. 

Finally, we worked alongside our packaging designer to re-vamp our Piedmont Pennies pouches and cartons, based on customer feedback (small pouch for personal snacking, medium for family snacks on the go, and a large carton for gifting and parties!) All resealable. All beautiful.

 

We are SO excited to launch Parmesan & Herb, July 10, 2024, only at piedmontpennies.com. Sign up for our newsletter for reminders and updates!

Orders will be fulfilled as they are received. Thank you for your patience with our first NEW flavor launch.

 

Stay Cheesin!

Becca

P.S. As a reminder, our Original Sharp Cheddar recipe will remain unchanged, as perfect as she is! 

 

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