Local cheesemonger Jake Heller wins national Cheesemonger Invitational
PHILADELPHIA - Whether melted on cheesesteaks or stuffed into pierogies, Philadelphia is a city that loves its cheese. Now it has one more claim to fame as the home of the nation’s top cheesemonger.
Jake Heller, 28, was crowned this year’s Cheesemonger Invitational champion last month, a feat he achieved by beating 44 competitors in events like cheese cutting, wrapping and blind tasting.
"Being a cheesemonger involves eating a lot of cheese," he told FOX 29’s Hank Flynn. "Whether it’s the texture, the size of the curd or the style of the rind, there are little ways to figure out what it is you’re tasting."
In addition to mastering the hard skills like packaging and sanitation, Heller says cheesemongering also means using his own love of cheese to help customers find their perfect variety.
"Mongering really involves the act of selling cheese," he said. "It’s talking to customers and understanding what they need."
Heller has a wealth of experience despite being so young. He started his career at the Narberth Cheese Co. while still a 16-year-old student at Lower Merion High School, and later spent years during college as a cheesemonger at Reading Terminal Market’s Downtown Cheese.
"Over the years I’ve probably tried over 400 cheeses," he said. "I can’t remember a person’s name, but a cheese’s name I will never forget."
Recently, Heller has been putting his cheesy expertise to good use as a cheesemaker at Perrystead Dairy, a new venture he said stems from the same fascination with cheese he’s developed.
"There’s always more to learn, whether it’s the history or the culture [of cheese] or the science behind it," he said. "I felt like making cheese was a natural step to see how it all comes together."
Heller said he has loved bringing Perrystead’s award-winning cheeses to life with his own hands, but that cheesemongering is a part of his identity regardless of his job title.
"I’m very happily a maker now, still a monger at heart," he said.