1 00:00:08,240 --> 00:00:10,920 Speaker 1: Hit him right over there with a very special studio guests, 2 00:00:11,080 --> 00:00:12,400 Speaker 1: are you ready to get your manger on? 3 00:00:12,640 --> 00:00:13,840 Speaker 2: Let's go get my manger on. 4 00:00:13,960 --> 00:00:14,400 Speaker 3: We'll get you. 5 00:00:15,120 --> 00:00:16,960 Speaker 2: What was the story we were talking about the other day, 6 00:00:16,960 --> 00:00:18,880 Speaker 2: It was like it was I forget what. 7 00:00:18,760 --> 00:00:20,760 Speaker 4: I had to do with There was a cheese monger 8 00:00:20,800 --> 00:00:23,439 Speaker 4: in Wisconsin that was getting at the Shenanigan's right and 9 00:00:24,040 --> 00:00:26,520 Speaker 4: control or something. We kind of got sidetracked on thinking 10 00:00:26,680 --> 00:00:27,880 Speaker 4: how does one become. 11 00:00:27,680 --> 00:00:28,520 Speaker 3: A cheese monger? 12 00:00:29,000 --> 00:00:30,880 Speaker 2: What is a cheesemonger? 13 00:00:31,200 --> 00:00:32,480 Speaker 3: Well, why don't we ask our guest. 14 00:00:32,800 --> 00:00:36,639 Speaker 4: Aaron is here, Aaron Bronson, cheese monger of Kroger. 15 00:00:36,800 --> 00:00:37,920 Speaker 3: Aaron, how are you my friend? 16 00:00:37,920 --> 00:00:39,680 Speaker 5: I'm outstanding? How about you. 17 00:00:41,760 --> 00:00:42,360 Speaker 2: Cheesemonger? 18 00:00:42,600 --> 00:00:45,480 Speaker 4: Yes, so, first of all, million dollar question, and I say, 19 00:00:45,479 --> 00:00:47,959 Speaker 4: you brought samples, which we're excited about. But how does 20 00:00:48,000 --> 00:00:49,519 Speaker 4: one become a cheese monger? 21 00:00:49,720 --> 00:00:51,560 Speaker 5: It starts with a love for cheese. 22 00:00:52,960 --> 00:00:56,280 Speaker 1: Imagine loving cheese to the point of it's a career choice, 23 00:00:56,480 --> 00:00:57,600 Speaker 1: Like what if it's just a job. 24 00:00:57,640 --> 00:00:59,560 Speaker 4: Though, because we hear that dude from the Nuggets like 25 00:00:59,640 --> 00:01:03,200 Speaker 4: Joker Nikola Jokic doesn't even like basketball, but he does 26 00:01:03,200 --> 00:01:04,959 Speaker 4: it because he's good at it. It's a job, like 27 00:01:05,000 --> 00:01:06,600 Speaker 4: I didn't know if that was like your role as 28 00:01:06,640 --> 00:01:08,440 Speaker 4: being the cheesemonger. 29 00:01:08,040 --> 00:01:10,880 Speaker 5: A little bit. It is not for the lactose intolerant, 30 00:01:10,920 --> 00:01:13,120 Speaker 5: I will tell you that. So you start there. You 31 00:01:13,240 --> 00:01:16,000 Speaker 5: love cheese, and that's kind of what leads everybody into it. 32 00:01:16,040 --> 00:01:16,120 Speaker 1: Is. 33 00:01:16,440 --> 00:01:18,960 Speaker 5: Man, this tastes great. How can I learn more about this? 34 00:01:19,000 --> 00:01:21,120 Speaker 5: How do I pair this? What does it go with? 35 00:01:21,160 --> 00:01:23,160 Speaker 5: What wine do I put it with? And it opens 36 00:01:23,200 --> 00:01:25,800 Speaker 5: a whole door into food that's fascinating. 37 00:01:25,880 --> 00:01:28,160 Speaker 4: So when you walk into a room and like people 38 00:01:28,160 --> 00:01:31,480 Speaker 4: are doing like the sharkquteritie boards and they've got cheese 39 00:01:31,520 --> 00:01:35,040 Speaker 4: samples whatever, like, you feel like you're the Tom Brady 40 00:01:35,040 --> 00:01:37,680 Speaker 4: of that room, right Like all eyes go to you. 41 00:01:37,680 --> 00:01:39,560 Speaker 3: You're in charge. You're the one that's in charge of 42 00:01:39,600 --> 00:01:40,839 Speaker 3: everything at that point, right. 43 00:01:40,920 --> 00:01:43,800 Speaker 5: A little bit. Yes, a certified cheese professional. 44 00:01:44,480 --> 00:01:46,240 Speaker 2: How would you obtain the title? 45 00:01:46,680 --> 00:01:49,320 Speaker 5: So it is a test given out by the American 46 00:01:49,440 --> 00:01:52,080 Speaker 5: Cheese Society and you have to have a minimum of 47 00:01:52,080 --> 00:01:54,880 Speaker 5: two thousand hours in the cheese business. And then it 48 00:01:54,960 --> 00:01:58,800 Speaker 5: is a extensive research project and then testing at the end. 49 00:01:58,880 --> 00:02:01,160 Speaker 5: And the test is put together by the same organization 50 00:02:01,240 --> 00:02:02,760 Speaker 5: that does the bar exam. 51 00:02:02,800 --> 00:02:03,520 Speaker 3: Get out of here. 52 00:02:03,880 --> 00:02:08,040 Speaker 5: Yeah, no pressure, no pressure at all there. Yeah. 53 00:02:08,160 --> 00:02:11,200 Speaker 4: So it's like harder to become a cheese monger than 54 00:02:11,240 --> 00:02:14,919 Speaker 4: it is maybe to become a surgeon. Understand there are 55 00:02:15,000 --> 00:02:19,720 Speaker 4: less of us. That is amazing. What are some types 56 00:02:19,760 --> 00:02:21,840 Speaker 4: of questions that would be on this test? Like just 57 00:02:21,840 --> 00:02:23,600 Speaker 4: so our audience can understand. 58 00:02:23,200 --> 00:02:27,200 Speaker 5: Well, how about lactation cycles of goats. That's a big one. 59 00:02:27,240 --> 00:02:29,440 Speaker 3: You got to know you were just talking about. 60 00:02:31,960 --> 00:02:35,480 Speaker 5: All over TikTok. You name it, lactation cycles for goats. 61 00:02:35,919 --> 00:02:38,400 Speaker 5: But it kind of deep dives into you gotta know 62 00:02:38,440 --> 00:02:40,639 Speaker 5: the animals. You gotta know how cheese is made, the 63 00:02:40,720 --> 00:02:43,720 Speaker 5: history of cheese, how cheese started, what you paired with, 64 00:02:43,840 --> 00:02:46,680 Speaker 5: how it's made, how it's imported. Lots of different pieces 65 00:02:46,680 --> 00:02:47,280 Speaker 5: go into it. 66 00:02:47,720 --> 00:02:50,880 Speaker 4: So once you become cheese mongering, you've taken the test 67 00:02:50,919 --> 00:02:53,760 Speaker 4: and all that, where do you go then? Like do 68 00:02:53,840 --> 00:02:55,840 Speaker 4: people reach out to you? Like, how did you end 69 00:02:55,919 --> 00:02:58,000 Speaker 4: up with Kroger? Who made the first phone call? Who 70 00:02:58,040 --> 00:02:59,120 Speaker 4: made the first move here? 71 00:02:59,560 --> 00:03:02,960 Speaker 5: We Well, actually I started with Kroger and then fell 72 00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:05,680 Speaker 5: in love with food and then eventually cheese and Kroger 73 00:03:05,760 --> 00:03:09,000 Speaker 5: kind of fostered that relationship. And helped put me in 74 00:03:09,080 --> 00:03:12,200 Speaker 5: touch with the right people to get educated about cheese. 75 00:03:12,880 --> 00:03:15,640 Speaker 1: The Kroger in Boone Village is like just this whole 76 00:03:15,760 --> 00:03:20,880 Speaker 1: gigantic section of nothing but cheese is absolutely and people like, 77 00:03:21,040 --> 00:03:24,239 Speaker 1: you've got your own. It's like the deli except for cheese. 78 00:03:24,919 --> 00:03:28,080 Speaker 5: Absolutely so our Murray's Cheese Shop and about forty locations 79 00:03:28,720 --> 00:03:31,960 Speaker 5: throughout our Central Division, which is Illinois, Indiana, we have 80 00:03:32,080 --> 00:03:34,960 Speaker 5: red jacket cheesemongers behind the counter that have been through 81 00:03:35,000 --> 00:03:36,440 Speaker 5: extensive cheese training. 82 00:03:36,560 --> 00:03:37,880 Speaker 3: Is that how we know who's for real? 83 00:03:38,040 --> 00:03:38,080 Speaker 1: That? 84 00:03:38,600 --> 00:03:40,960 Speaker 5: It's the red jacket that the masters. 85 00:03:41,000 --> 00:03:42,840 Speaker 4: If you've got a green jacket on, if you've won 86 00:03:42,920 --> 00:03:44,840 Speaker 4: the thing, yes, If you've got a red jacket on, 87 00:03:44,960 --> 00:03:45,800 Speaker 4: you're among. 88 00:03:45,560 --> 00:03:47,680 Speaker 5: You know you're cheese. If you're in red, that's it. 89 00:03:48,080 --> 00:03:50,640 Speaker 4: This is fascinating. I never knew there was so much 90 00:03:50,680 --> 00:03:53,080 Speaker 4: behind the scenes stuff to go into being a cheese. 91 00:03:53,080 --> 00:03:57,120 Speaker 2: Actually, is there such a thing called a whiskey monger. 92 00:03:57,760 --> 00:03:59,680 Speaker 5: I'm sure that's out there too. I'm sure it is. 93 00:04:00,160 --> 00:04:03,120 Speaker 4: Okayne, good luck on that test. 94 00:04:04,400 --> 00:04:06,160 Speaker 3: What are some of the samples you brought for us here? 95 00:04:06,200 --> 00:04:09,520 Speaker 5: Well, I brought a few different ones. I brought actually 96 00:04:09,560 --> 00:04:11,120 Speaker 5: a bourbon soaked cheese. 97 00:04:11,520 --> 00:04:16,520 Speaker 4: Forest, I've got a ball game, and what is a 98 00:04:16,600 --> 00:04:17,799 Speaker 4: bourbon soaked cheese? 99 00:04:17,839 --> 00:04:18,400 Speaker 3: Walk me through that. 100 00:04:18,600 --> 00:04:21,960 Speaker 5: So what we have here is our bourbon Bellovotano and 101 00:04:22,000 --> 00:04:24,960 Speaker 5: it's made by sor Tory Cheese Company out of Plymouth, Wisconsin. 102 00:04:25,480 --> 00:04:27,680 Speaker 5: And this is a cross between like a cheddar and 103 00:04:27,720 --> 00:04:31,720 Speaker 5: a parmesan. And then it is soaked and bourbon aged 104 00:04:31,720 --> 00:04:33,920 Speaker 5: for a little bit and it is crumbly. It pairs 105 00:04:33,960 --> 00:04:35,680 Speaker 5: with anything, especially bourbon. 106 00:04:35,800 --> 00:04:36,640 Speaker 2: Which which one is? 107 00:04:36,680 --> 00:04:38,520 Speaker 5: That's going to be this one right here when. 108 00:04:38,440 --> 00:04:41,599 Speaker 4: Nigel gets real drunk, that's his alias Bourbon Barbeitano. 109 00:04:42,640 --> 00:04:43,880 Speaker 5: This one right here, that's the one. 110 00:04:44,000 --> 00:04:45,880 Speaker 2: Yeah, Should I dip it into something? 111 00:04:46,040 --> 00:04:47,960 Speaker 5: You get a little bit of apple butter right there 112 00:04:49,200 --> 00:04:50,039 Speaker 5: over the top, but. 113 00:04:50,160 --> 00:04:54,960 Speaker 3: Cheese fly, throw me a piece. There we go, there 114 00:04:55,000 --> 00:04:55,320 Speaker 3: we go. 115 00:04:56,680 --> 00:04:58,560 Speaker 2: Mmmm oh man, it's incredible. 116 00:04:58,800 --> 00:05:01,279 Speaker 5: That's wonderful stuff. Do you get those little crunchy bites 117 00:05:01,279 --> 00:05:05,159 Speaker 5: in there? Those are called tyrasing crystals. Those are in 118 00:05:05,440 --> 00:05:07,800 Speaker 5: much cheeses. They add that little bit of pop, a 119 00:05:07,800 --> 00:05:10,000 Speaker 5: little bit of crunchy texture inside there, a little bit 120 00:05:10,040 --> 00:05:12,440 Speaker 5: of sweetness there too, right, you're getting that sweet, that 121 00:05:12,600 --> 00:05:15,680 Speaker 5: salty and then just that hint of the bourbon. It's 122 00:05:15,720 --> 00:05:16,400 Speaker 5: not overpowering. 123 00:05:16,440 --> 00:05:20,159 Speaker 4: Okay, so let's say that my better half, the lovely 124 00:05:20,320 --> 00:05:23,280 Speaker 4: crazy coupon, Lady Crystal Hammer. It's getting on my nerves 125 00:05:23,320 --> 00:05:24,880 Speaker 4: and I want to go home and I want to 126 00:05:24,920 --> 00:05:25,600 Speaker 4: let of fartfly. 127 00:05:25,720 --> 00:05:28,559 Speaker 3: That just poisons the room. What's the go to cheese 128 00:05:28,600 --> 00:05:29,000 Speaker 3: for that? 129 00:05:29,279 --> 00:05:31,480 Speaker 5: And the go to cheese for that, I'm gonna tell 130 00:05:31,480 --> 00:05:34,760 Speaker 5: you it's still in that Belvatano family, the Merlow Belevatano 131 00:05:34,880 --> 00:05:37,479 Speaker 5: I brought two boozy cheeses today. Okay, so the next 132 00:05:37,480 --> 00:05:41,279 Speaker 5: one over here, that bright purple rind on, it is 133 00:05:41,360 --> 00:05:43,119 Speaker 5: Merlow Bellovatana. 134 00:05:44,200 --> 00:05:46,520 Speaker 4: It bring it, got it. 135 00:05:48,040 --> 00:05:51,760 Speaker 5: That one with a nice red wine, a few grapes. 136 00:05:52,200 --> 00:05:55,400 Speaker 3: What about a warm you know, Budweiser and a PBR. 137 00:05:56,480 --> 00:05:57,360 Speaker 3: Let's go good with that. 138 00:05:57,640 --> 00:06:01,760 Speaker 5: You know what it's going to go with anything. Yeah, 139 00:06:01,800 --> 00:06:04,320 Speaker 5: that's kind of like the every man's cheese. It's got 140 00:06:04,320 --> 00:06:07,680 Speaker 5: some sophistication to it, but it's not intimidating, and it's 141 00:06:07,760 --> 00:06:09,799 Speaker 5: just good. It's just good. 142 00:06:11,320 --> 00:06:14,520 Speaker 4: This has been super fascinating here, Like how can we 143 00:06:14,640 --> 00:06:17,600 Speaker 4: find like your store where are you at? People want 144 00:06:17,600 --> 00:06:19,960 Speaker 4: to like buy some cheese from you, from the manger, 145 00:06:20,080 --> 00:06:21,200 Speaker 4: from the Hammer and Nigel Show. 146 00:06:21,200 --> 00:06:21,840 Speaker 3: Where can they find you? 147 00:06:21,920 --> 00:06:26,560 Speaker 5: OFFICI, Yes, well I'm at all stores, So look for 148 00:06:26,600 --> 00:06:30,119 Speaker 5: somebody in a red jacket behind that Murray's Cheese counter. 149 00:06:30,600 --> 00:06:33,320 Speaker 5: I interact with all the stores at different times, different places. 150 00:06:33,760 --> 00:06:36,480 Speaker 5: Everybody in that red jacket's been through that phenomenal red 151 00:06:36,560 --> 00:06:39,440 Speaker 5: jacket Murray's Cheese training, and we all know the same thing. 152 00:06:39,480 --> 00:06:41,960 Speaker 5: And we're gonna put you with the best cheese in 153 00:06:42,000 --> 00:06:42,400 Speaker 5: your cart. 154 00:06:42,680 --> 00:06:44,640 Speaker 4: And if they are not wearing a red jacket and 155 00:06:44,680 --> 00:06:46,680 Speaker 4: they're trying to talk cheese to me, I can say, 156 00:06:46,680 --> 00:06:47,160 Speaker 4: you don't know. 157 00:06:47,120 --> 00:06:48,039 Speaker 3: What you're talking about. 158 00:06:48,960 --> 00:06:51,440 Speaker 2: Stolen, stolen monger Valor, right. 159 00:06:51,480 --> 00:06:55,440 Speaker 3: We will not put it impossible. Stolen Monger Valor. Aaron, 160 00:06:55,600 --> 00:06:59,680 Speaker 3: thank you so much. We appreciate you, the cheese monger, 161 00:07:00,080 --> 00:07:01,120 Speaker 3: The Hammer and Nigel Show.