The Big Cheese in Kensington: Local cheesemonger wins big at national cheese competitions

KENSINGTON (KYW Newsradio) — The job title of cheesemonger is one few have today, especially in a town where wiz, provolone or American will do the trick paired with shaved steak on a long roll, but it’s in specialty cheese shops where people like Jake Heller are life-savers.

“Mongering is cutting wheels, wrapping, it’s knowing the sanitary practices that are involved with selling cheese over-the-counter,” he said in a recent interview with KYW. “But I think most of all it’s being able to talk to people and kind of getting a feel for what they’re looking for.”

The 28-year-old is the head cheesemaker at Perrystead Dairy in Kensington and his fermented creations have catapulted him to the forefront of the cheese world in the last few weeks.

Most recently, Heller took home first, second and third place medals for cheese he made at the American Cheese Society Conference in Buffalo, New York. That came shortly after beating 44 other competitors from across the country for the top prize at the latest Cheesemonger Invitationals in Brooklyn.

“It started with a written test that then moved into a blind taste test,” said Heller.
The competition also tested aroma, cutting speed and how close the mongers could get to quarter-pound slices just with an eyeball test.

“You had to quickly wrap those quarter pounds in paper. There was a trial of speed wrapping with plastic wrap which might be more difficult than it sounds if you’ve ever used that,” he said.

Heller began his career in cheese at 16, selling it at the Narberth Cheese Company. It’s only more recently he’s actually taken up the ‘cheesemonger’ title.

“I never went to school for it. I’m not certified or anything so I was always hesitant. I would call myself a cheese enthusiast,” he said. “I always dreamed one day I would feel confident enough to call myself a monger. At this point, I do.”