As of December 10th, 2011 Specialty Foods of Aspen has moved on. The lunch and specialty foods store, known to most as just ‘The Cheese Shop’ is under new management. It has been taken over by Sarah and Andrew Helsley, but not to worry it will still offer all of the fantastic services it has in the past, and then some. In fact Sarah and Andrew have adopted its name, The Cheese Shop, just to cement that fact. On December 21st The Cheese Shop will open its doors for the season at the corner of Hopkins and Hunter on the Garden level.
As alumni of The Little Nell, both Sarah and Andrew plan to bring their passion for good quality handmade food to The Cheese Shop, but leave the sky high prices behind. The lunch menu is getting a fresh new look, with reinvented classics like grilled cheese (it is a cheese shop after all), composed salads and crockpot favorites. The menu will rotate to utilize local product throughout the seasons. The cheeses and specialty foods will remain, but expect to see some new interesting products replace old tired ones. They haven’t forgotten about gift baskets or cheese trays either, these will stay too! Both Sarah and Andrew have an appreciation for artisan cheeses and cured meats, partly due to working under former Little Nell executive chef Ryan Hardy so they will share that knowledge with each and every customer. Their goal is to give Aspen foodies a consistently delicious lunch, as well as a place to find ingredients and information to create delicious meals at home without having to pay astronomical prices. In the future expect to see the little wine shop turn into a place to find unique affordable wines with a knowledgeable staff and frequent tastings. The deli case will expand to carry more prepared foods for hassle-free dinners at home, and down the road even fun interactive cooking classes!