Greetings fellow Curd Nerds!

As our community of cheese lovers continues to grow in Red Bank, and throughout Monmouth County and beyond, I’d like to take a moment and draw your attention to our blog: Cave Conversations.

The aim with our blog is to extend the love and passion we possess for artisan cheeses beyond the cave and maintain that discussion, whether you’re headed into the shop for something special tomorrow or fully stocked on cheeses for the week ahead. The mission of The Cheese Cave from the very first day has been to provide a place for people who love and appreciate great food to explore the joy of artisan cheese.

In the early days of the store, many of our customers asked if we would be holding cheese tastings and classes, expressing the desire to learn more about cheese, the various styles, how to identify and articulate their favorites and of course, how to pair with wine!

As an initial step to address this interest, we have recently introduced $5 Fridays which allow foodies to stop in with their favorite bottle of wine and sample different cheeses in the company of other cheese enthusiasts and explorers. What we have experienced with the first few Fridays aside from LOTS of rain, are people who have embraced the concept, are eager to discover what may be on the “slate” for the evening and people making new friends. No one gets hurt with this one!

We have also scheduled a series of Cheese 101 classes where we are hosting a more structured, but informal discussion for groups of 10 -15 people. We present the various families of cheeses in a multi sensory experience with each guest enjoying a cheese plate from each of the various styles of cheese. Those who have attended have commented on how much they have learned about their preferences. People have said they know more about what they are looking for when selecting cheese. To join us, stay tuned to our schedule of classes.

One of our favorite experiences as cheesemongers is hearing your creative uses for our cheeses. What have you been pairing your favorites with? Cooking in dishes? We’ll be posting some of our new and different uses for cheese, what we’re serving at The Cheese Cave and how we’re enjoying them at home.  Allow us the opportunity to be your professional cheese consultants. Contact us if you want to simplify your entertaining with a custom created cheese board, or if you need a creative gift.

We’ll also be sharing news within the cheese community that we’re excited about -- new cheeses and innovative cheese makers. In August, I will be attending the annual American Cheese Society Conference in Montreal. I will be posting photos and reporting on my experience in meeting so many of the great artisan cheese makers that continue to grow, and I will select outstanding cheeses to share with all of you at The Cheese Cave!

We look forward to communicating with you and sharing ideas and experiences in the growing world of artisan cheese!