The craft of cheese making predates recorded history, tracing back to the domestication of animals in the Zagros mountains of Iran during 8000-6000 BC. Cheese craft took root in medieval European homes as a natural way to preserve milk. Today’s world of artisan cheese is rooted in the homestead lifestyle of the early Americas. A staple of many places at many times, cheese has remained a universal constant, providing the proteins and fats necessary for survival, fostering culture and community at the epicenter of life.

Jessica Sennett is a freelance cheese maker, cheesemonger, and educator. Her background is a mix of cheese making apprenticeships, creative cheese retail positions, and food event coordination. Her journey began at the Cowgirl Creamery Retail store in San Francisco where she discovered the sensory qualities of cheese and how they connect to the agricultural and culinary world. This inspiration led her to apprentice in France and Southeastern Washington. Her main passion lies in connecting the urban climate to the empowering processes of food and agriculture production. She has worked as a Cave Manager for Formaggio Kitchen in Massachusetts; renovating and maintaining optimum cheese storage conditions. Her last local collaborations have been developing the education department at the new Manhattan location of Bedford Cheese Shop and building the cheese making curriculum at 3rd Ward. You can now find her teaching at The Natural Gourmet Institute as well a curating a series of Cheese in the City Suppers, where she features and hand crafts all of the cheeses in the menu.

To check out her sister company devoted to ideal cheese storage design, you can visit: cheesegrotto.com

Cheese Questions?  Interested in reserving your own private cheese supper or class? cheesegrotto@gmail.com