Cheese shop now open in 7th Street Public Market

A new store is selling handmade cheeses in 7th Street Public Market, and the owner of Orrman's Cheese Shop said she's excited to bring more interesting cheese to Charlotte.

"I just like the taste of cheese," said owner Rachel Klebaur. "I like meeting the cheese makers, and visiting the farms."

Klebaur said she first got into cheese during culinary school, when she worked at Murray's Cheese in New York City. "I just stayed on in Murray's for a few years and learned about cheese" after school, she said. "It's something I really enjoyed, vs. busting the line in a kitchen."

Now, with her own small store, Klebaur is handpicking each cheese, which all come from small farms who use sustainable practices, she said. "It's a very small selection, but nothing's missing from that case," Klebaur said. "They're favorites of mine."

She plans to rotate the selection seasonally. "I really like aged sheep's milk cheeses, and we're getting into that season. In the spring, we look forward to the fresh goat's milk cheeses."

"I really encourage tasting of the cheeses before purchasing," she said. Klebaur said she wants to help people understand where their cheese comes from and how it's made.

And as the number of artisanal cheese makers in the U.S. grows, she said we're developing even more of an American cheese culture. "We don't need to go to Europe for great cheeses," Klebaur said. "They're here, in the U.S. and in the South."



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