The holidays are certainly upon us, and with them comes a mail box stuffed full of end of the year pleas for charitable contributions and mail order catalogs of every size and description full of special holiday sales. I give what I can, and in the era of COVID-19, I am shopping online more frequently. Never having been a big shopper, I find this alternative more relaxing and satisfying. Unfortunately, a great deal of this mail ends up in the recycling bin. That said, I have always looked forward to the annual arrival of two catalogs in particular – The Swiss Colony and Wisconsin Cheeseman, two companies based in Monroe, Wisconsin whose products I have enjoyed for many years, especially during the holidays.
The Swiss Colony was established in 1926 by Ray Kubly to market mail-order local cheeses. He later added sausages and various baked goods. The company changed its name to Colony Brands, Inc. in 2010 to reflect its new position as a parent company for an extensive portfolio of food and non-food subsidiaries and catalogs. The Wisconsin Cheeseman, a privately held mail-order food gift company established in 1946, publishes several catalogs annually, also featuring Wisconsin cheeses, sausages, chocolates, baked goods and other assorted food gifts. The company was more recently purchased by Colony Brands, and today the two catalogs are roughly similar in their content. I still like to peruse each and dream of their mouth-watering offerings.
Back in the day, it was more than just a dream. When I was returning home to Wisconsin during my holiday breaks from college in the early 1970s, The Swiss Colony still operated brick and mortar stores offering it many products individually and in the various gift boxes still offered through its catalogs. What a treat it was to wander the aisles enjoying the aromas of fresh cut cheeses and sausages offered as samples to customers. My favorite was a store located in the nearby Brookfield Mall which also had a small Swiss café in the back . . . a favorite place for soups and sandwiches to fortify one for holiday shopping.
Those days are far in the past, but I still reflect fondly on them during the holiday season as I peruse this year’s catalogs. And there is always a possibility that one of those lovely and tasty gift boxes will end up under the tree.
No comments:
Post a Comment