Anne Saxelby Interview! No comments yet
by LittleMissMatched
How did you become such a cheese connoisseur? Was it something you were always interested in or did you become a fan of the food group after working at local cheese shops such as Murray’s?
I have always loved cheese… ever since I was little I can remember relishing slices of cheddar and (embarrassment!) American cheese. But, I really fell in love with cheese while visiting a friend studying in Florence, Italy. She took me to all the local markets and that was truly the first time I had ever tasted real, handmade cheese. I fell so head over heels that after graduating college, I got a job at Murray’s Cheese Shop in NYC, and then got an internship as a cheese maker on a dairy farm in Connecticut. It was sort of a snowball effect from there. I ended up leaving Murray’s to take a six month tour around Europe, learning to make goat cheese and wine, and then came back to NY to open my own shop!
You’re pretty young to have already become such a pioneer in the industry…how do you think you got to where you are today? (This can be a short story of your life, milestones, important steps, etc…whatever you’re comfortable with!)
I think I got to where I am today largely because of my family. No matter what I did, or what I was interested in, they were always super supportive. I felt like I could have no interest too weird or out there… they were always totally warm and accepting. That, coupled with the fact that I’m the first born (we’re known for being a little type A) and knowing that I wanted to have my own business since I was a kid… It’s funny how things fall into place though. I feel like timing is everything. I happened to move to New York and become interested in food, then specifically with cheese. Then I met these farmers from Connecticut who ended up giving me a job and showing me a window into the world of American farmstead cheese, which up till that point, I knew very little about. I think I learned the most and became inspired the most by all the cheese makers I met over the past six years or so. As for being a pioneer, I don’t know, I just wanted to tell the stories of all the cheese makers and cheeses that I love.
No comments yet
