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FRESH FOOD: Cheese: Wheel them in

July 1, 2008

-By Meg Major


Artisanal and farmstead cheeses continue to grow in popularity, with some of the best varieties produced by small cheesemakers locally, and especially in Wisconsin, California, and Vermont. With shoppers clamoring for handcrafted, carefully calibrated cheeses with unique flavors and textures, grocers are definitely cutting specialty cheeses deeper into their merchandising strategies--and for some that means heading into caves.

Chains and independents alike are already well on board the trend toward small-batch, locally produced cheeses. The Kroger Co. last fall, for example, inked a deal with one of New York's finest cheese shops, Murray's Cheese, to secure the rights to the latter's name and expertise to support the chain's own specialty cheeses. Reportedly as part of the deal, mini Murray's Cheese shops will open at an undisclosed number of Kroger stores this year. (Kroger didn't respond to inquiries seeking confirmation.)

Other retailers, however, have been plumbing different depths in search of bona fide curd cachet, via cheese caves. Long renowned among cheesemakers, these walk-in, temperature- and humidity-controlled rooms create the perfect environment to age and store cheese in a consistent fashion.

Two Wisconsin-based independents--Sendik's Fine Foods in Brookfield, and Sentry Foods in Sun Prairie --were among the early supermarket adopters of in-store cheese caves, giving customers a chance to peruse and purchase a wide assortment of domestic and international specialty cheeses at their peak.
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