HUNTINGTON, N.Y. — Mark Sherman had always eaten what he calls a “healthy American” diet. But when he was faced with high cholesterol a few years ago, his wife, Gail, brought home some soy cheese to eat.

“I had tasted soy cheese over the years, and it was not satisfying … that’s the nice way of putting it,” Sherman says.

This soy cheese was no different. However, the unappealing flavor left an impression on him, and Sherman, an entrepreneur with more than 20 years of experience in the food industry, began to think about how he could develop something better.

It was from these ruminations that Blue Moon Brands was born.

Blue Moon Brands, developer and marketer of a variety of soy cheeses, became a business three years ago, and this month the company marks its one year anniversary of selling product.

In between, there were two years of product development, during which time Sherman worked with Mary Kamm, Blue Moon Brand’s vice president of product development and quality control, to develop soy cheeses with both good flavor and good functionality. Kamm joined Blue Moon Brands from Ben & Jerry’s Homemade in Burlington, Vt., where she served as director of product development/quality control. She and Sherman had once been coworkers there.

Over the course of those two years, they developed what Sherman, CEO of Blue Moon Brands, calls “the first gourmet soy cheese.”

“We’re a different category from what was out there. We stand apart,” he says.

The company’s website, www.bluemoonbrands.com, proclaims that the company offers “products made by cheese lovers for cheese lovers.” Just because he’s making an alternative product doesn’t mean that Sherman is anti-dairy by any means.

“I love dairy cheese,” says Sherman, who believes that all foods can be enjoyed in moderation. “We’re not saying cheese is bad. We’re just providing an option that offers other health benefits.”

Soy cheese is another food product, Sherman says, one that takes advantage of the health benefits of soy such as its role in helping reduce high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

That said, the strategy behind Blue Moon Brands was to create a product that utilizes the benefits of soy and that still closely replicates the flavor and functionality of dairy cheese.

Sherman and Kamm worked on developing just such a product. The company initially launched three cheeses, Soy Mozzarella with Italian Herbs, Soy Provolone and Soy Gouda, basing their selections on which flavors and textures could be recreated and with which they were most satisfied.

“We make products that are delicious,” Sherman says. “If it doesn’t taste good, people won’t eat it. We wanted to create a product that acts like a food that can be well expected to perform like dairy cheese, not sort of approximate it.

“We take our role as a food supplier very seriously,” he adds.

The company is serious about marketing, too, but in a lighthearted fashion. Blue Moon Brands’ name, and the name of its product line, SoyMoon, combine the imagery of a traditional nursery rhyme — the cow jumping over the moon — and the phrase “once in a blue moon.”

“Once in a blue moon, some incredible things happen. With our products, you don’t have to wait for a blue moon,” Sherman says.

The soy cheeses are designed for both retail and foodservice customers. Sherman says that in blind tests at a New York pizzeria, the soy Mozzarella performed as well as other cheeses with the appropriate stretch and mouthfeel.

“And you can take our Gouda and make a beautiful cheese sauce,” he says.

Sherman believes one of the best ways to develop a product that people want is to work closely with customers, so as product development proceeded, he would present the cheese to Dean Soicher, then the vice president of purchasing at Tree of Life Northeast, a natural foods distributor.

“We kept on working on things, getting his feedback,” Sherman says. Soicher was so impressed with the product that he eventually joined Blue Moon Brands as vice president of market and retail development.

Blue Moon Brands also has cultivated a business relationship with MCT Dairies, Millburn, N.J. MCT Dairies has partnered with the company financially and is assisting the company with marketing, sales and product development. MCT Dairies is a logistics partner in the manufacturing of Blue Moon Brands products, Sherman says, working with manufacturers to ensure the product is just right.

“They provide the help we need so we can ramp up our growth,” he says.

Ken Meyers, president, MCT Dairies, says that MCT decided to work with Blue Moon Brands because the company has exciting new products and a professional staff.

“They have a soy cheese that finally tastes great — certainly compared to the rest of the soy market but also on its own,” Meyers says, noting that interest in soy products is growing among consumers.

Sherman says the company’s products have been met with a great deal of interest. While he declines to say how much cheese the company currently is marketing, growth is “geometric and it’s continuing to keep this pace going.”

As the company has gained a foothold in the marketplace with an array of natural foods customers including Whole Foods and Wild Oats, it has increased its product lineup, expanding from its initial three products and now offering plain Soy Mozzarella and Mexican Picante-Style Soy Queso Blanco. In addition, last month Blue Moon Brands launched its Soy Feta crumbles in 4-ounce deli tubs. It also will be available for foodservice in 5-pound bags. The company’s other cheeses come in an assortment of 8-ounce chunks, shreds and 5-pound blocks.

All of the soy cheeses are made with non-hydrogenated organic soy oil, and the company uses organic ingredients whenever possible. Casein gives the cheese the right mouthfeel, Sherman says. The products are naturally cholesterol- and lactose-free.

The company continues to work on new product development, Sherman says, noting that he asks his staff for a lot of difficult things as the company attempts to achieve new heights.

“Product development is a cross between science and art,” he adds.

Product development isn’t stopping with soy cheese either. The company plans eventually to roll out organic dairy cheeses under the Whole Moon brand.

Meanwhile, Blue Moon Brands is in the process of exporting its first product to Switzerland, a point Sherman takes pride in considering that Switzerland itself is known for its high-quality cheese.

Sherman is confident that the company will continue to grow.

“What we find with consumers is that when they taste our product, they buy it,” he says.

CMN