Artisan cheese, mac & cheese, grilled cheese sandwiches, coffee Established in 2002. In 2002, having become firmly entrenched in the Seattle food scene, Kurt was walking through Seattle’s historic Pike Place Market and noticed that a long-time tennant had closed up shop. Inspired, he called the landlord, returned to his office and announced they were going into the cheesemaking business. With fond memories of his grandfather and his wheels of Stilton, it was a natural fit to name the business Beecher’s Handmade Cheese.