Grocery Manager Noel Zimmer prepares fresh mozzarella at Tony’s Market.
Your Cheese Questions Answered by Our Cheese Manager
Cheese can be a surprisingly complex topic. According to the International Dairy Foods Association, there are over 2,000 varieties of cheese around the world. From artisan and aged cheeses to cow, sheep, and goat milk cheeses, the possibilities are endless.
Luckily, Tony’s Market has in-house experts to guide you. One of them is Noel Zimmer, Grocery Manager at our Broadway Market location. Noel studied bioagricultural sciences at Colorado State University and has worked in charcuterie and cheese for several years. He’s known for giving our cheeses the attention they deserve—rotating and flipping them regularly to breathe and ripen properly.
Here are some of the most common cheese questions answered by Noel.
Noel is the Grocery Manager at Tony’s Market on Broadway, and he’s deeply passionate about all things cheese. When he’s not helping customers find the perfect pairing, you can find him flipping and rotating cheeses to ensure they age properly. With a background in bioagricultural sciences from Colorado State University and years of experience in charcuterie, Noel is a true resource for our team and customers alike.
Are raw cheeses worth it?
Absolutely. Many people feel unsure about raw milk cheeses, but when produced by trusted farmstead creameries, they are both safe and delicious. The key is in the source. At Tony’s, we recommend raw cheeses made by producers who manage every step—from milking to aging—right on the farm. This control ensures a high-quality, safe product.
Why are organic cheeses so expensive?
The short answer is: the cost of production. Organic feed is often more than double the price of conventional feed. Add in strict organic certification standards, and the cost goes up fast. That said, many conventional producers still treat their animals with incredible care. Noel even recalls one dairy that hired a masseuse for their herd!
How does Tony’s choose its cheeses?
We start by curating a balanced mix of domestic and imported options: hard and soft cheeses, blue cheeses, and cheeses for cooking. But beyond flavor and quality, we love cheeses with a story. For example, we carry products from a producer who runs a carbon-neutral operation powered by methane captured from cow manure.
More cheese questions answered soon!
That wraps up today’s round of cheese questions answered. Have more? Drop by our cheese counter and talk to our experts, or stay tuned to Tony’s Blog for future posts with tips, pairings, and behind-the-scenes insight from our team.
Director of Food Production at Tony’s on Broadway, Bucky Jaquess, shares samples of Monte Enebro, a delicious goat’s milk cheese.
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