A newsletter topic has been banging around in my head for a while, but I haven’t wanted to write it for fear it was too mushy and cheesy. BUT today, October 4th, IS my 27th birthday, so I can do what I want! I want to write a newsletter about how much customers mean to us behind the counter. When I first started my job as a cheesemonger, I would have conversations with Brie, the Cheese Boss around here, about how it was weird sharing food with someone for such a brief moment. I have always loved cooking, and I really enjoy cooking for large groups of family and friends. We’d have long dinners with my cousin, aunt, and uncle, every Sunday growing up, and once I gained confidence in the kitchen in high school, I would invite a large crowd of friends over, which always became so loud and raucous that my parents and brother would retreat as far from us in the house as possible. Sharing food with others has always been a long, involved experience for me, so giving customers a bite of this and that and then done and out the door was totally weird to me. I felt like we strangers were sharing a moment of connection over a piece of cheese we both liked, but it was so fleeting.

Over the years, I have gotten used to these quick transactions over food and they no longer strike me as “weird.” Instead, I’ve come to love the short or long conversations we have, whether it’s about trying to find the right cheese for you, or about your son or daughter coming home from college. The good thing about working in this line of business is that people are generally happy to be here, which makes The Cheese Shop such a great place to work. I really enjoy talking that serious cheese talk, and so many of you are willing to get into the weeds of cheese nerdiness too, which is super fun, but I also like to hear about your book club or your next vacation. You share a bit of your busy day with us, so thank you.

Another reason I love our customers is because we’ve gotten to be a part of some important moments of your lives, even though we are just on the periphery. We’ve had couples come in as newlyweds when we opened in 2015 who now come in with their babies. We have seen kids grow from infants into talking, walking little humans who want their CHEESE! I love it when people bring in visiting family and friends and show them around the shop. Friends run into each other here and chat in the entryway. First dates are navigated by the cheese counter or at a wine tasting. Maybe he’ll be the one? Or maybe you find out he will not try your favorite cheese so he’s O-U-T. We’ve made cheese platters for dinner parties, whiskey tastings, weddings, funerals, housewarmings, many holidays, birthdays, barbecues, or just because.

So thank you thank you thank you for letting me, and all of us, be a part of your lives, it really means a lot. For me, sharing food is special and I’m grateful I get to do it every day with all of you.

For the love of cheese and YOU and my birthday of course,

Kiri

Birthday Gratitude