Based in Pottstown, Betts' production has risen steadily as purchase orders for the spreads' chief ingredient, farm-fresh cream cheese, have gone from 500 to 10,000 pounds a month and sales have climbed to nearly $1 million annually.
No one knows better the tale of the little cheese spread that grew than Betts McCoy's daughter Sue, who grew up working weekends, holidays and summer vacations from the ninth grade on - along with her older sister Beth - at the shop their mother took over in 1969 and quickly developed as one of the area's best sources of fine cheeses.
Betts McCoy became an expert and educator on the subject of cheese. Sue, now 53, picked up that passion.
"The original herb-flavored spread was my mother's concoction, made in the early '70s when French Boursin was getting so expensive - something like $1.69. Now, of course, the five-ounce Boursin is nearly $10."
Betts spreads (seven ounces) are priced about $5.
"We called our version Betts Brew back then. But when we went public 10 years ago, we had to put ingredients on the label so we changed it to Herbs 'n Spices."
"The horseradish spread - we called it Crazy Horse in the store - became Cheddar Horseradish. Now it's our most popular spread. And the blue-cheese spread we used to call 'our secret' is now Blue Cheese 'n Herbs."
While it's not a seasonal business, Sue says, Betts Crab & Artichoke spread sells better in the summer, and the Cheddar Sherry business picks up through the winter holidays.
Early on, loyal customers helped spread word of her mother's homemade spreads.
"One year, a regular customer took some of our spreads to a friend's place in Kennebunkport, Maine," Sue recalled.
