The 2022 Cheesemonger Invitational was held in Brooklyn, New York earlier this month. The winner, Cara Condon, who works at a Chicago cheese shop called Beautiful Rind, was considered a dark horse leading up to the event, according to The New York Times.
The 10-hour competition consisted of an entire day of events to test everyday cheesemongering skills, like eyeballing and cutting half-pound wedges of cheese, and cheese-related trivia. The event tests job elements like connoisseurship, salesmanship, sensory training, and knowledge of geography, history, and even microbiology.
Although the American Cheese Society, the trade group of domestic cheese producers, has certification opportunities and annual cheese competitions, the community felt the need to have other places to share and test their craft. This led Adam Moskowitz, an entertainer and cheese aficionado, to begin the invitational event in 2010 as an after-party for The Specialty Food Association’s Summer Fancy Food Show.
Over the last 12 years the event has grown into a sponsored event with a formal panel of 14 judges, and a portion of the competition that is open to the public. Any working cheesemonger is encouraged to compete but must participate in a three-day education-based orientation leading up to the event.
Cheese enthusiasts around the country enjoy the event. “When you live in a place like Alabama and you’re super into cheese, you don’t have a lot of people to nerd out with,” said John Litzinger, head cheesemonger at the Son of a Butcher in Birmingham, to The New York Times. “Being around so many cheese people is a very elevating experience.” Full Story
Related: Barilla, Plug and Play Accelerator Seeking Applications; The Hatchery Chicago, Midwest Dairy Host Pitch Contest