SHEBOYGAN, Wis. — President Joe Biden will host his first state dinner Thursday night, welcoming French President Emmanuel Macron. On the menu? Sheboygan cheese.
According to NBC News, this is the first official state dinner the White House is hosting after a three-year hiatus. President Biden is using the occasion to strengthen ties with his French counterpart amid disputes over trade and national security, NBC reports.
The menu includes butter-poached Maine lobster, beef with shallot marmalade, and American artisanal cheeses. Among the variety of cheese is cheddar from Deer Creek Cheese, a family-run creamery in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. Deer Creek Cheese, which began in 2006, uses milk from small, local family farms.
"We are so excited (and totally surprised) to share that one of our Cheddars will be featured at tonight's State Dinner with French President Emmanuel Macron," Deer Creek Cheese shared on their Instagramstory Thursday. "The funny thing is, we have no idea which cheese was selected... but we're trying to find out!'
Chris Gentine, the president and founder of Deer Creek Cheese, said he was surprised when he heard the news.
"We did not know," Gentine told TMJ4 Reporter Mariam Mackar. "It was actually the planner who was putting this dinner together (who) chose our cheese... We really had no idea up front."
Deer Creek's 'The Fawn' was the chosen choice. It was the first for the company's animal series and Gentine's daughter drew the label.
According to the company's website, The Fawn is described as a "naturally mellow, bandage-wrapped Cheddar cheese."
"It's a great choice. I think that President Macron and his wife will really enjoy the subtle elegance, some of those nutty undertones," he said. "I think it's a really good pick on the part of President Biden and the First Lady."
If Gentine could have chosen the cheese, he said he would have picked The MoonRabbit.
As for the company, Gentine said the honor is an acknowledgment of a job well done.
Deer Creek Cheese is sold in locations across the U.S. Here in Wisconsin, you can find them in Whole Foods, Sendik's, Trig's, and Festival Foods, among many places. See the full list on Deer Creek's website.
