Seeking out straws November 29 2025

heath's cheese straws at mike's farm at a fall table setting

By Elizabeth Ritchie Sherrill

Cheese straws were a rarity when I was younger

I’m sure I’ve mentioned this before, but cheese straws were a rarity when I was younger. We often only got cheese straws at porch parties and holidays. Having seen how they are made, and being a parent myself, I completely understand why! Aside from hand mixing the thick dough that would cause any household mixer to self-destruct, my dad would hand press each straw out of a metal cookie press and bake sheet after sheet for what seemed like hours. They were the equivalent of making any special cake or cookie, not something one does on an average Tuesday night!

That being said, cheese straws were something you had to fight to get your share of at any given gathering. They were gone in a flash! With Ritchie Hill Bakery sending out thousands of boxes each year, it can still be that way for the Ritchie-Alm clan. We love to gift these golden morsels just like everyone else, so we have to get our orders in early and plan our gift-giving accordingly.

On Monday I found out that I had not planned accordingly. I found myself in need of cheese straws to include in a holiday package to a longtime friend who especially loves them. The silver lining was that I got to go shop at Mike’s Farm, one of my favorite local spots from long before they were a Ritchie Hill Bakery retailer. Their NC Products Barn is the place Christmas shopping dreams are made of. I checked several gifts off my list and grabbed one (of the few remaining, eek!) packages of Heath’s Cheese Straws, had a hot cider and a pecan pie brownie from their bakery, and headed merrily on my way.

On my drive home everything outside looked like quintessential fall, with hints of Christmas readiness sneaking in. I smiled thinking about how I just got my dad’s cheese straws hundreds of miles away from him. One to give, and maybe one for me. Not the same as being handed a warm cheese straw straight out of the oven, but close. How special that cheese straws are still such a strong part of our holiday traditions, and how our family still makes sure to get enough to share around this time of year.

*If you find yourself in the same boat, check out our list of Ritchie Hill Bakery retailers here. You can also order online by December 4th to ensure Christmas delivery.

Happy Holiday Season from our family to yours!