Meet Laura Davenport and Tulip Tree Creamery

Laura Davenport, co-owner Tulip Tree Creamery

Laura Davenport is one of the owners of Tulip Tree Creamery and handles many things including sales, marketing, and education. Based in Indianapolis, Tulip Tree Creamery has been making cheese since 2014. They’ve received awards from American Cheese Society, Slow Food, US Championship Cheese Awards, World Cheese Awards, and Good Food Awards. They specialize in washed rind “stinky” cheeses and their first cheese was Foxglove, a double cream, washed rind cheese with a soft consistency when young that becomes runny as it ages. A classic washed rind style cheese, its orange rind is due to a mixture of cultures including yeast and beer.  Often compared to Epoisses, it’s pungent, savory and earthy and lusciously creamy. 

Tulip Tree Creamery’s cheese Trillium is included in the Indiana Victory Cheese Box which also includes cheeses from two other artisanal Indiana cheesemakers, Jacobs & Brichford and Capriole.

When did you first get interested in cheese? 

My interest started after attending the American Cheese Society Conference that was in Burlington, VT.  I had been working for an organic dairy in Indianapolis who focused on yogurt and fluid milk and had entered their first cheese (made by Fons Smits).  Little did I know that I would experience meeting so many amazing cheese people at the conference.  For starters, my suite mate was Alice Birchenough of Sweet Home Farm and I got to meet Kate Arding of Talbott and Arding as well.  We also won a blue ribbon for our cheese! That experience hooked me.

Who are some of your “cheese heroes”? 

There are so many to mention, however, Judy Shad has become one of my “heroes” for sure.  She put Indiana on the map with her cheeses made at Capriole; she has become a friend, as well.

How did you get into the profession? 

Fons Smits, cheesemaker & co-owner of Tulip Tree Creamery

What I tell people is that I was working in healthcare as an infection control practitioner at a local hospital and I kind of got tired of telling everyone to wash their hands. In reality,  I was just in search of a new career that was in alignment with my personal convictions. Taking care of the earth, working on a farm, and working in an environment that allowed me to be outside. So, I applied for a job as an “assistant farm manager.”  They quickly called back and explained that I wasn’t qualified for this, however, they offered me a job in sales and marketing.  That’s when I started working with Fons, he was managing production.  His products were delicious, we communicated well together and we’ve been working together ever since.

People might not think of Indiana or Indianapolis first when they think of cheese, what makes it a good place for cheese? 

Indianapolis and its surrounding counties host a number of farmers’ markets which is the perfect place to introduce new food product as you get loads of people to sample your products.  We started off doing 5-7 a week, just to get feedback and we continue to do them in order to have face time with customers.  Indianapolis is in close proximity to many midwestern cities (Chicago, Louisville, and Cincinnati to name a few) and there are many major highways running through it so, it’s helpful for moving products out of the state.   

 Where and how do you source milk? 

We’ve partnered with a few family farms in Indiana in which we source our milk.  Right now, we pick up our milk from Country Meadows Farm located in Hudson, IN, which is in the northeast corner of the state.  They are a sixth-generation family farm and they raise several breeds of cows including Jersey, Holstein or Jersey Holstein crosses with a few exceptions of Normandy Reds. Years ago they bred crosses of Jersey Holstein for the size and butterfat. Country Meadows Farm focuses on butter fat quality.  They milk about 100 cows and they do not use growth hormones on their animals.  The cows are grass fed all year with some silage in winter to help them keep weight. The farm grazes and makes all their own hay and other forages for the animals.  They also grow hay and other forages.

Can you tell me about the names of your company and cheeses? 

Tulip Tree is the Indiana state tree and we’ve incorporated the Dutch tulip into the logo, as Fons is from the Netherlands.  Fons and I are both into gardening (and so is most of our team) so, we thought it seemed the right name for us when it was suggested.  All of our cheeses are named after (mostly native) flowers and plants.

How do you get people to warm up to stinky cheese? 

Foxglove cheese

When we started we just took it to market and got people to try it. And also while the Foxglove is stinky, it’s approachable. Fons made cheese with some sweet notes that was more approachable. We do cheesemaking classes and have people try it to balance the flavor like with a sweet jam. It’s been a multifaceted approach—sampling, learning the story, and trying some pairings. Trial and error! Fons had experience making stinky cheese. Here in the Midwest, there aren’t many being made. We get people to experience them for the first time or introduce them to people who have tried them outside of the US.

The experience has been some people really love them or they really don’t. There are not many people who are right in the middle! It’s love it or hate it.

How have you been managing since the pandemic? 

The first few months after it started were scary when our distributors stopped ordering and our cheeses were still rolling out of the aging caves, however, we put the word out on social media and to a few grocery store buyers and they were able to help us move some cheese. 

What are your future plans?

Regarding products, we are always looking for the next cheese to make and we are in the middle of launching a new cheese called “White Oak” (a spirit infused double cream cheese) and soon a washed Gruyere-style cheese called “Milkweed”.  We are also playing around with different pudding recipes, most likely for the local market. Regarding distribution, our focus will be on the South as we’d love to get into a few more anchor stores down there…perhaps Central Market?  Can’t wait to travel again.

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