When did you first discover the wide world of artisan cheese?  
 
I began buying cheese for the Market in 2007, which up until that time was purchased by our grocery department.  By then, I had been exposed to the unique selections of farmhouse cheese in France, Italy and Switzerland, and had visited Cowgirl Creamery in California and Formaggio Kitchen in Cambridge, MA.  When I started to buy cheese I read everything about cheese I could get my hands on, and while that was very valuable, what I really wanted to do was taste the cheeses I was reading about.  Each time I purchase a "new" cheese, I taste it!  Then I am able to write a description that includes the country or in the case of Vermont cheese, the town where a farm is located and the farm name.  Our customers also want information about whether a cheese is made from raw or pasteurized milk.  My role as a cheese retailer is to remove as many barriers between our guests and their ability to taste and hopefully buy a piece of cheese, so we sample at least two cheeses every day.  Usually 30% of the cheese we carry is produced in Vermont.  Excerpt from an interview with Vermont Cheese Council -Vol. 10, Issue 1-Spring 2010

 

Lisa Battilana  is our Executive Chef & Retail Representative of the Vermont Cheese Council Executive Board.