“A merchant who specializes in cheese” Mirriam-Webster
Basically, Cheesemongers sell cheese, but is that the end of the story?
Cheesemongers are a passionate good natured lot. They will guild you through the vast array of cheeses on display, cut to order the size you need, engage in cheese chit chat and generally change a transactional purchase into a personalised culinary adventure.
Cheesemongers strive to know the stories of the cheese, the origin, the flavour profile (changes as the cheese ages), they’ll know what’s ripe and ready now, or what’s going to be good eating further down the track. What pairs with what? Wine, beer, condiments or on its own.
Behind the scenes your cheesemonger is sourcing the best of the classics, looking for what’s new, what’s coming into season, what’s arrived in the latest shipping container, and honing their cutting skills to the gram.
The cheese case is a balancing act, cutting to order is best practice but if everything is cut to order then the price of your purchase will skyrocket, and the risk of cross contamination is more likely.
Only having cut and wrapped the bare minimum is a high level assessment skill that cheesemongers develop, I honed mine working in a la carte kitchens in my previous life as a chef. Unlike chef world I get to speak directly to my customers, that interaction makes all the difference and is really what being a cheesemonger is all about.
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