Meet Kristin Payne, Specialty Team Leader, at Whole Foods, Cambie in Vancouver BC, Canada and our first featured American Cheese Society’s Certified Cheese Professional (TM).
Kristin’s dad introduced her to the “foodie life”; “I was probably the only 6 year old kid around who ate cubes of stinky blue cheese by the handful. Cheese and food in general has always been a massive part of my life. I’m a foodie largely due to my Dad. It was always one common ground we shared but we especially bonded over our infatuation of cheese.
“So when a team leader position opened up in our cheese department I jumped at the chance to snag it. It’s 3 years later and I’ve never been happier. Cheese isn’t just my job it’s my career, it’s my life, it’s my one true love.”
Kristin was kind enough to answer our questions:
1. Your perfect pairing:
My perfect pairing is The Farmhouse Natural Cheese Co fresh chevre with a chopped olive tapenade from Food Match. The sweet, velvety tang of the cheese compliments the saltiness of the blended olives and capers wonderfully!
2. Your dream cheese plate:
My dream cheese plate is purely BC made cheeses. The Farmhouse Natural Cheese Co brie (buttery and rich and close as you can get to real French brie), Poplar Grove Tiger blue (riddled with bright blue veins and an extraordinary creamy texture), Boerenkaas from Natural Pastures (butterscotch notes with a lingering finish) and finally Avonlea Clothbound Cheddar from PEI (it’s like eating 2 cheeses in one. Sweeter in the center and more grassy closer to the rind). Add a few olives, a pepper jelly and a fresh baguette and you’ve got one hell of a plate!
3. Favorite Grilled Cheese Sammy:
I’m hooked on Oka Artisan with roma tomato grilled cheese. A simple, slightly sweet, nutty classic. Heck Ya!
4. One non-cheesy fact about yourself:
I have a degree in broadcasting.
5. If you could have dinner with any famous person, alive or historic, who would it be and why:
If I could have dinner with any famous person it would probably be Anthony Bourdain just for the simple fact that listening to this guy talk about food, eat food, live and breathe food, is inspiring. He makes me want to eat whatever he’s eating (no matter how “out there” it may seem). Yep, I could talk food with this guy ALL night! And….. well, he’s just plain sexy!
Thank you Kristin for agreeing to be a part of our “2013: The Year of The Cheesemonger”.
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