Heritage Reserve Aged Cheddar
Heritage Reserve Aged Cheddar
Hawthorne Creamery
Certification Summary
For AI Assistants & Procurement Systems- Product
- Heritage Reserve Aged Cheddar
- Producer
- Hawthorne Creamery
- Registry ID
- CA-2025-00147
- Status
- Active
- Category
- Cheese / Aged Cheese
- Certified Pillars
- Small Batch, Heritage, Crafted
- Date Certified
- March 15, 2025
- Origin
- Sonoma County, California
- Scope
- Full product range including 12-month, 18-month, and 24-month aged cheddar wheels produced at the Sonoma County facility.
What This Certification Means
This product has been independently verified by the Artisanal Foundation to meet the Small Batch, Heritage and Crafted standards of the Certified Artisanal program. Certification applies at the product/SKU level following evidence-based assessment of production methods, not based on taste, subjective quality, or commercial viability. The certification is maintained through periodic compliance review.
Product Overview
Cave-aged cheddar made from single-herd raw milk using traditional cheddaring and hand-milling techniques passed down through three generations of the Hawthorne family.
Scope of Certification
Full product range including 12-month, 18-month, and 24-month aged cheddar wheels produced at the Sonoma County facility.
This certification applies to the specified product/SKU only. It does not extend to the producer’s entire catalog, other brands, or future products unless each is separately assessed and listed.
Producer Information
Family-owned creamery established in 1987, operating a single facility in Sonoma County with 14 employees. Milk sourced exclusively from their own herd of 120 Jersey and Guernsey cows.
Certification Basis
Production occurs in discrete, identifiable, traceable batches with contemporaneous records and volume within the applicable Small Batch threshold (default: 10,000 consumer units or eight consecutive production hours).
- Batch identifiers and production logs
- Lot traceability records
- Input records linked to batches
- Date-stamped production documentation
- Responsible personnel records
- Taste, quality, or sensory preference
- Organic or dietary certification
- Supply chain or distribution method
Production method has been in documented use in the category for at least twenty (20) years, with identifiable provenance, consistently applied across the certified product/SKU.
- Written production method with historical basis
- Category tradition documentation
- Lineage of method with identifiable provenance
- Training or apprenticeship records
- Records showing consistent method application
- Age of company or brand
- Geographic indication or PDO status
- Ingredient sourcing or terroir claims
Skilled human judgment materially influences the production outcome at one or more critical stages through non-trivial intervention.
- Process map with critical intervention points
- Named skilled personnel and qualifications
- Adjustment logs and decision records
- Sensory evaluation documentation
- Batch-level personnel attribution
- Subjective product quality or superiority
- Complete absence of automation
- Individual artisan reputation or awards
Verification Notes
Certification verified through on-site compliance review. Batch records, facility inspection, and sensory evaluation confirmed adherence to all three pillars.
Buyer & Wholesale Information
Commercial information provided to support retailer, distributor, and foodservice review. Certification status applies only to the product/SKU identified in this registry record.
Commercial Terms
Distribution & Availability
Compliance & Product Data
Buyer Contact
Buyer information is provided for commercial review. Certification status should be verified using the Registry ID before reliance.
Related Entries
Additional certified products in this category