Ask Joel

Joel Has been a Calef’s employee since 1956, and a Barrington, NH resident his entire life, if he doesn’t know the answer to your question no-one will! Please see our FAQs below or reach Joel via  info@calefs.com

Joel, We want to visit your store, where is it and when are you open?

We are located at the junction of Route 125 and Route 9 in Barrington, NH. We are open from 10AM to 6PM daily except we close at 5PM on Sundays. Click here for full hours and directions. Monday – Saturday 10 AM to 6 PM
Sunday 10 AM to 5 PM

Joel, what exactly is “Snappy Old Cheese”?

Well, now, that dates back to about 1890 when Sen. Austin Calef ran the store. He was the son of the founder, Mary Chesley Calef, you know. The story goes that a couple of fisherman came in the store and asked him for the strongest cheese he had. Austin went down cellar and found a couple of pieces of cheddar that had been lost behind the wheels being aged. Austin served some of the cheese to fisherman, who instantly exclaimed “That’s snappy! Makes a man sit up and take notice.” It has been “Snappy” ever since. Click here to see all our “Snappy Cheeses”

Does cheddar ship well?

Indeed it does. The cheese can stay out of refrigeration for a week. Now, if it really gets hot, the cheese will “oil off.” If that happens, simply put in the cheese in the ice box and it will draw the oil back in. It won’t affect the taste, but it might become a little drier. We do recommend that you keep the cheese wrapped tightly in the ice box, but pull it out about half an hour before eating it. The flavor is best at room temperature. We do include an ice pack in our shipments during the warmer months.

Can I freeze my Snappy Old Cheese, Joel?

Well, you can, but I wouldn’t recommend it. It doesn’t hurt the flavor of it, but when you thaw it out, it’ll probably be crumbly. Best thing to do is wrap the cheese tightly and store it in the ice box.

Joel, there’s a spot of mold on my cheese. Do I have to throw it away?

Absolutely not! If air gets to the surface of the cheese, mold will form, cheese is a living product after all. Spots of surface mold should be scraped off completely, but the rest of the cheese will be fine.

Joel, do you make Snappy Old Cheese at the store?

Nope. Never have. We get our cheese from the finest creameries in Upstate New York and Vermont. The secret has been, and always will be, in the aging. Very few companies are patient enough to age cheese properly these days. That’s the real secret to Snappy Old Cheese.

What is Your Return Policy?

Every item we sell must meet or exceed your expectations. If it doesn’t we will promptly exchange it or refund your money no questions asked.

What is Your Privacy Policy?

We will never sell or rent your name, address, or e-mail address to another company. We do use Constant Contact to stay in touch with our customers but you can opt out at any time. Read our privacy policy.

What is Your Shipping Policy?

In stock items will be shipped via UPS within 48 hours. For out of stock items, we will contact you via e-mail or phone and let you know when we expect to ship the order. You may elect to cancel the order without charge at that time. Shipping cost is based on the weight of the order and the distance from our Barrington, NH store. The shipping cost is calculated during the checkout process. For complete details on our shipping policies click here.

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