3 Tips To Maximize Your Time At The Cheese Counter

Now that the holiday season is in full swing, a lot of new customers are visiting us … many of whom have never been to a cheese shop before! It’s particularly exciting to work with these customers because I love nothing more than introducing people to new cheese.

When I made my very first trip to a cheese shop, I remember feeling pretty overwhelmed. I had no clue so many cheeses even existed! After working with a plethora of cheese shop newbies over the past 4 years, I’ve learned this is a pretty common initial reaction.

To ease your anxieties of cheese overload, I have 3 very good tips to share!

1. Go in with an open mind.


The world of cheese is vast! There are so many glorious options and, in my heart, I truly do believe there is a cheese for everyone. Being open-minded at the counter will pretty much guarantee you success in finding the perfect cheese (or many cheeses!) to bring home with you. This leads into my second tip …

2. Trust your cheesemonger.


The very best part of purchasing cheese at a cheese shop is working with a cheesemonger. A cheesemonger is the person working behind the counter and they’re in charge of cutting, caring for, and selling cheese. Cheesemongers are incredibly passionate and knowledgeable about the products they sell. It doesn’t matter if you don’t know a whole heck of a lot about cheese because they do (and they’ll be overtly excited to steer you in the right direction).

3. Own what you like.


Food and flavor is completely subjective. Just because I love a certain cheese, doesn’t mean that you will! My favorite cheeses, in fact, are irrelevant to your experience at the counter. When you visit a cheese shop, give your cheesemonger a starting point. Maybe you tend to like cheddars. Perhaps you’re more of a stinky cheese person. It doesn’t matter what your preferences are … what matters is that you share them with the cheesemonger so they can help narrow down selections. And NEVER feel bad about not liking something you try at the counter … getting to sample cheese and identify what you like (and don’t) is one of the greatest parts of the cheese buying process.

I hope you find these tips helpful and feel motivated to support a local cheese shop this holiday season! It’s a very special experience.

Jamie :)