According to a news report from news.medill.northwestern.edu, “A substantially pungent odor and a price tag of more than $29 a pound have not deterred customers from buying Ba Ba Blue cheese and its fellow fromages at Cheesetique, a gourmet cheese shop in Alexandria,Va.”
“Although it may smell like a European cheese stand, this culinary boutique in suburban Washington is something straight out of upper class America, with a wall of wines for cheese pairing, shelves of deluxe crackers and even a cheese and wine bar in back,” said the story. “The store, like others in the food industry, has had to raise its prices. But specialty foods, ranging from the gourmet to the organic, are not seeing a drop-off in clientele, even as vendors tack higher prices on what are traditionally high-cost items. Food prices in the United States are increasing at the fastest pace in 17 years, according to the NPD group, a consumer research firm. American consumers are heading to the grocery store with coupons in hand and leaving with generic brands in tow.”
