Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/165618
resource guide (continued from p. 98) profile Cheese buyer Justin Trosclair won this year's Cheesemonger Invitational, beating out more than 50 contenders from across the country. ADVERTISER .................... PAGE ADVERTISER .................... PAGE A&B American Style, LLC ... 105 MarxFoods.com....................... 106 Alfred Ritter (Ritter Sport) ... 37 Mifroma .......................................... 12 American Specialty Foods Milo's Whole (Lancaster Fine Foods) ..... 25 American Vintage World Gourmet ................... 106 Nielsen-Massey Vanillas, Inc. ............................ 26 Oliver Pluf & Company........ 106 Brimstone Originals PHOTO:EVA MESZAROS Wine Biscuits ....................... 105 BelGioioso Cheese, Inc. ............9 Peanut Shop of Specialty Foods, LLC ....... 108 Williamsburg .............................6 Caveman Bakery, LLC ........... 105 Pereg Gourmet ........................ 106 Char Crust, Inc. .........................107 Phin & Phebes .......................... 106 Consorzio del Formaggio Plocky's Fine Snacks ............... 45 Parmigiano Reggiano Proven Passion and Skill Premium (EU5) .......................................... 19 St. James recently earned some attention when Trosclair won this year's Cheesemonger Invitational, an annual competition held in Queens, N.Y., that fell on the same weekend as the Summer Fancy Food Show. The day-long event puts cheese sellers from around the country to the test on their expertise—from obscure cheese knowledge to precision slicing—as well as challenging them to produce interesting pairings. Specialty Food Magazine's associate editor Eva Meszaros was one of the 15 judges. Trosclair had come in second place the previous year and admits the pressure was on. "It's a bit nerve-wracking. It's 12 hours of competing and classes," he explains. "But [host] Adam Moskowitz from Larkin makes it really fun, which helps takes the edge off. "We also had to come prepared to create the perfect bite using one of the cheeses from a list. I chose a Flora Nelle blue cheese and then I typed in 'blue cheese pairing' on the internet and found a website that was really technical. It talked about how both blue cheese and pineapple had this same flavor compound, and so I decided to try it." Trosclair then refined the bite to include gingersnap crackers, a slice of fresh pineapple and a crumble of Flora Nelle on top. "I like watching people try it," he says of the original combination. "At first it confuses them and then they start getting the flavor. It's a process." While winning the competition was fun, Trosclair says that what he most enjoys is working in the shop every day. "We've got the best customers in the world and the perfect cheese shop for a city that's relaxed, CHEESE BUYER fun and food-driven. JUSTIN TROSCLAIR WON Richard's philosophy is THIS YEAR'S CHEESEMONGER that we have to try hard, INVITATIONAL IN NEW YORK. Go behind the scenes with sell good stuff and not be one of the judges—associate jerks to customers. And editor Eva Meszaros— that's what we do." at specialtyfood.com/ @ onlinehighlights. Susan Segrest is a contributing editor to Specialty Food Magazine. Chocolatiers LLC ................ 108 DeBrand Fine Chocolates ... 108 Pretzel Perfection..................... 35 Delicaé Gourmet ............. 45, 108 Primera Technology, Inc ........ 28 Dispensa-Matic Label Relm West Labels & Dispensers............................... 24 Dufeck Wood Products ....... 109 Dufour Pastry Kitchens, Inc. .......................... 42 Elegant Brie............................... 108 Firehook Bakery ...................... 105 Fischer & Wieser Specialty Foods, Inc. ........ 105 Packaging .............................. 109 Ritrovo Italian Regional Foods ....................................... 110 Robert Rothschild Farm ........ 33 S. Wallace Edwards & Sons, Inc.............................. 110 Sable & Rosenfeld Foods ......46 Salem Baking Company.............. Fran's Chocolates, Ltd. ...........46 ................... Inside Front Cover French Farm ................................. 41 SaltWorks, Inc. ......................14–15 Frontier Soups ...........................49 Schuil Cofee Company .......... 41 Golden West Specialty Seattle Seasonings, LLC .......107 Foods, Inc.............................. 105 Gourmet International (Niche Gourmet) .................. 27 Simply 7 Snacks .......................107 Something Eclectic ................ 106 Source Atlantique, Inc. ................ Grey Ghost Bakery ................. 105 .................... Inside Back Cover Hannah Max Baking ............... 105 Spice Lab.....................................107 Harvest Song ............................ 106 Stonewall Kitchen .......................... Heritage Shortbread ............. 108 IM Products LLC ...................... 109 ImageTek Labels ..................... 109 Interprofession du Gruyere .........................107, Back Cover Strawberry Hill Grand Delights ...................................107 Tadin Herb & Tea Co. (Le Gruyere Cheese) ........... 21 (Lifestyle Awareness)..........49 Jana Foods, LLC........................40 Tia's Bakery, LLC ......................107 Jelly Belly Candy Company .. 13 Torie & Howard, LLC................40 Jesben Slow Cooker Tortuga Rum Sauce Company.................. 106 Cake Company ....................... 51 Kelapo.......................................... 109 Venus Wafers, Inc. .................... 23 Kings County Jerky Co. ....... 108 Virginia Diner, Inc. .................... 22 Kitchen Table Bakers ............ 109 Walkers Shortbread, Inc. ........ 17 Kopper's Chocolate .................. 31 Wing-Time, Inc.......................... 110 Lucifer Foods Co., LLC ..........107 World's Best Cheeses ................3 Maroc Export (Moroccan Center for Export Xcell International Corp. ........ 42 Xochitl Inc. .................................. 110 Promotion) ................................ 11 SEPTEMBER 2013 111