Minding Your Business - The Chatham Cheese Company

Chatham Cheese Company

Artisanal Cheeses from all over the World

902 Main St.

Chatham

508-945-1605

Open 6 Days, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Closed Monday

ChathamCheese.com

I walked into the bright and welcoming shop to find that a wine and cheese tasting was going on. “We do those all the time,” said owner Heather Cantin. “You get to sample three wines and six cheeses. The wine is really just a taste but you learn all about pairing certain cheeses with the wine.” Consider making a reservation for one.

Cantin and Leslie Polk started the Chatham Cheese Company in this very location in 2008. “Leslie left after three years, though the partnership did not end badly (we’re lifelong friends, like sisters really!) I just couldn’t give it up!” We are glad she didn’t! Chatham Cheese Company platters attend a lot of parties in our area, don’t they?

“I’m preparing over 30 just this week for Thanksgiving,” she told me. Her brochure says that the platters come in two sizes (small, serves four to 12, and large, serves 12 to 25), both with fresh bread, charcuterie (cured meats), jams, fruit, accouterments and of course, cheese! You can customize your platter or go with her choices. She also offers a Sunset Sampler box to bring to the beach or a platter of her delicious sandwiches cut into bite-size pieces. The sandwiches are served daily from the shop, too. There are six types and each is prepared on crusty Pain D’Avignon bread. I always lean toward the “Caprese” (fresh mozzarella, basil pesto, roasted herb tomatoes and balsamic vinegar), but the others are equally as popular, especially the “Blue and Bee” (gorgonzola dolce, local honey with crisp apple slices).

Along with the case filled with cheeses from around the globe (she invites you to try a taste of any before you buy), they also offer “Cheese Flights,” a light lunch of three cheeses with accouterments and cheese fondue. “You can schedule a fondue party in the shop or take a fondue kit home. If you don’t own a fondue pot you can rent one of ours!”

Every time you stop in don’t forget to ask if she’s made any macaroni and cheese that day. Her take on the classic casserole is scrumptious and never the same; she uses up pieces of cheese left over from the case and combines them into a delectable base for the dish.

Cantin’s favorite cheese? “It’s BrebriRousse, a double crème sheep’s milk from France,” she said, smiling. She can match you with a cheese that you’ll fall in love with too; her cheese knowledge is incredible. The shop also carries a fantastic selection of fine wines, gourmet crackers, pasta and jams. “We carry Gustare oils and vinegars, too.”

This holiday season Cantin invites you to put her to the test by ordering a “cheese cake” or “grazing table,” both great alternatives for your holiday get-together. Just remember, “cheese is the answer!”