Welcome to the Cheesemonger Invitational
January 19th, 2020
The Super Bowl of Cheese has arrived.
This is The Cheesemonger Invitational.
Adam Moskowitz
The HCIC. Founder of The Cheesemonger Invitational.
The Cheesemonger Invitational is a biannual contest that invites the best cheesemongers in the United States and beyond for a fun and fiercely competitive weekend. Created by Adam Moskowitz, CMI’s goal is to celebrate cheesemongers and to share with the world the fine work we do. Cheesemongers are the bridge between consumer and creator. We take pride in fostering relationships between customers and the cheeses they come to fall in love with. At CMI, dozens of mongers will compete in a series of tests over the weekend for the chance at ultimate gooey glory. Competitors deal with many challenges including a blind taste test, a written exam, and creating the perfect bite of food. Cheese professionals from all over the world come to share their knowledge and judge the contest. CMI is where the beauty of the American cheese industry shines brightest.
The culture of the U.S. cheesemonger industry is unique. For American mongers, we are part of a fellowship. When two mongers meet for the first time, there is a sense of comradery. This fellowship is felt tenfold at CMI. Moskowitz has created not just a platform for cheesemongers, but a true family reunion.
I first competed at CMI New York in June 2015, and it was an exhilarating and life-changing moment! I was fresh into my cheese career, only beginning months earlier but already instantly obsessed. I saw CMI as a way to challenge myself and to meet others in my field. I usually have felt like an outsider and somewhat freakish, and my career in cheese only added to that element. CMI was a way for me to find others like myself and find my family. The last CMI I participated in was in 2016, the year before I moved to France. I haven’t been able to attend a CMI since but I always am excited to follow the event and support my fellow cheesemongers.
I’ve gotten to meet incredible mongers from all over and it has been great seeing their careers grow. Alex Armstrong was a hotshot monger when we first met, describing to me his affinage experiments in his home and managing the counter at Pastoral in Chicago. He’s since gone on to work in California and now for the Cellars of Jasper Hill in Vermont. Joshua Santamaria was a joyous and warm-spirited monger who now runs the counter at Eataly in downtown NYC. Kelley Jewell was the beverage and cheese expert at Provisions and is now doing big things with Murray’s Cheese. So many great, talented people! I have found inspiration and friendship in this dynamic crowd and couldn’t be more grateful.
Not only is CMI a big cheese love fest for industry pros…it is also open to the public! Visitors are able to indulge in an array of tasty treats such as barbequed gruyere nachos and a raclette. You even get to sample the competitors’ “Perfect Bite” creation, one of the challenges of the contest! The action is about to go down January 19th, 2020 at The Midway in San Francisco. Tickets are available at The Cheesemonger Invitational website. Or, you can follow along on Instagram and Facebook!
I am incredibly proud of my brothers and sisters in Cheeseworld and highly encourage any monger to compete in the Cheesemonger Invitational. It will introduce you to the heart of cheesemonger culture in the United States. As for this Sunday, good luck to all of the mongers!
