Humble Beginnings
Hunter and Holden's famous cheese spread was born out of the love of family and community. Back in the early 2010s, Karyn (H&H's creator and owner) was a single mother working a typical day job in the Cle Elum Roslyn, Washington area to make ends meet. At the time, her son Hunter had just moved to college in Colorado. Despite working part-time to cover the cost of tuition, he was doing very well in school and was maintaining a 4.0 average. Wanting to do more to provide for Hunter so he could focus on his studies, she decided to take a chance when her friend suggested Karyn should make her famous cheese spread (a potluck staple within her circle) to sell at the local farmers market. That weekend, Karyn made the largest batch of cheese spread she had ever made. She was stunned when everything had sold within 15 minutes of the market opening. Shortly thereafter, Karyn sold her cheese spread in this shared space at the weekly farmers market and sent the extra cash she earned to Hunter, who went on to graduate with honors and perfect attendance.
The Spread Of The Cheese Spread
When Karyn's daughter Holden was born, Hunter and Holden's Famous Cheese Spread was officially being sold in its own booth at the Roslyn farmers markets. As the cheese spread business continued to increase, it was clear that it was outgrowing the shared kitchen space. Karyn decided to turn her 2-car garage into a certified, licensed commercial kitchen and, remembering her humble beginnings, opened her kitchen up for other local entrepreneurs to use as well. While H&H had a large following at local summer markets, loyal customers would always ask where they could purchase cheese spread in the off-season.
Taking yet another chance, Karyn approached the owner of Owen's Meats, a local specialty store in Cle Elum, Washington. Having already heard a lot about this famous cheese spread, he set up a small fridge in his store for cheese spread the very next day. The Owens family opened the door to year-round sales in local stores, and Owen's Meats continues to be the top seller of Hunter and Holden's Famous Cheese Spread to this day.
A Family Business
Ten years later, Hunter and Holden's Famous Cheese Spread is sold at many local summer markets, various large annual and holiday shows, 15 specialty stores, 1 chain store in three locations, and is served at 2 local restaurants. Hunter and Holden's Famous Cheese Spread has grown quite a bit from that very first farmers market, yet it continues to remain a loving family business. Hunter and his wife currently live in north Idaho and always assist in the cheese spread booth at shows in eastern Washington. Holden has grown up helping with the family cheese spread business and is starting high school this fall. Many relatives run the farmers market booths alongside Karyn in the summer, including Karen L. who operates the kitchen and has grown from a good friend to family. By popular request, Karyn still brings her famous cheese spreads (and the many delicious dishes she cooks with them) to her friends' potlucks and family gatherings.