A New View from Clarkdale: Pure Plant Power with Virgin Cheese

That was the case for Jodi Paige of Las Vegas, who found that when she crossed over to a plant-based diet what she missed most was cheese, cheese, cheese. Although Paige’s background was in large-scale theatrical and event production, in 2014, to satisfy her cravings, she modified a standard recipe for cashew cream and used probiotic cultures to create a line of organic, nondairy cheese focused on flavor.

The “pure plant power” cheese’s ingredients are simple: no chemicals, no potato or rice starch, no fillers. Paige named it Virgin Cheese for the purity of the product.

At Las Vegan Eats, an organized vegan dining event, she wowed the crowd with eye-catching cheese platters covered with Lemon Dill Feta, Shallot Truffle Cheese and Cheddar Nut Balls. Paige says people went through the tasting line three or four times and she sold out of 50 pounds of cheese in a few hours. Organizers of the event warned her, “You’d better get ready for big success.”

Paige bought a commercial Cuisinart, rented a commercial kitchen and took her cheeses to the Las Vegas Farmers Market to hand out samples. The tasters’ enthusiasm spilled beyond the vegan community. Everyone just loved the assertive flavors, the creamy complexity and the healthy afterglow.

Brimming with positive reinforcement, Paige honed her cheesemaking skills and developed new markets. Then the pandemic hit. Mail orders went through the roof. Paige needed help. Thanks to a chance encounter at a local dance, she met her future business partner, Anthony Guitron.

After six years in Vegas refining Virgin Cheese, Paige and Guitron were ready to relocate. Now that they had an established clientele with outlets from coast to coast they no longer had to be in Vegas. Paige had grown up in the Phoenix area and fondly remembered trips to the historical mining town of Jerome. The town and the surrounding Verde Valley had bloomed into an Arizona wine destination (vvwinetrail.com) with 25 vine- into an Arizona wine destination (vvwinetrail.com) with 25 vineyards and tasting rooms. And what goes better with wine than cheese? Searching in the area, Paige found and bought a 5-acre parcel that was formerly the site of the Hopewell Mine.

With Virgin Cheese selling strong, and the Hopewell Mine Homestead, Paige scoured old-town Clarkdale for some place that could be converted into a production kitchen and showroom. The town is tiny so there weren’t many options. Then the perfect location, right in the middle of the only business block on Main Street, opened up. A little café closed, and Virgin Cheese moved in. In January 2021 Paige and Guitron opened Hopewell Mine on Main.

As people tasted the Smoked Gouda, French Onion Herb, Sriracha Cheddar, Bleu and Chevre de Fleur, they just kept coming. Paige and Guitron added a line of organic, nondairy yogurt, kefir, sour cream and cream cheese. They developed a Virgin cheese spanokopita, and Frownies (fudge in a brownie shell). Like all Virgin products they are pure plant power and gluten-free, made with organic cashews, organic coconut milk or oil, organic spices, Himalayan pink salt and live probiotics.

For this holiday season Virgin Cheese offers flavored “cheesecakes” in a pecan-date crust: Champear, Date-Caramel Amaretto, Peach Schnapps, Pumpkin Chai, Chocolate Banana and Horchata. Virgin Cheese products are also available in custom and do-it-yourself hosting platters and gift baskets.