Each year, culture solicits nominations from the cheese community for our annual Hot List—a directory of cheese pros setting the industry ablaze with commitment to craft.
We were fortunate to receive hundreds of submissions highlighting many deserving mongers, makers, and more. Of those submissions, we narrowed the Hot List down to 20 individuals actively changing the landscape of the biz for the better.
In creating the Hot List, our hope is to honor accomplished folks in the cheese community doing great, hard work today. We also want to inspire those up and coming in the the ranks and show them that it’s possible to not only secure a cheese career in 2025, but grow and thrive within one.
Read on to discover the 20 hottest people in cheese right now!
Affineur and Sensory Evaluator at von Trapp Farmstead
Waitsfield, Vermont
Cheesemonger and Founder of @cheezytalkwithmadelyn
Cheese Department Manager at Heinen’s Grocery Store
Cleveland, Ohio
Founder of Philly Cheese School
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Category Manager, Procurement, and Education at Di Bruno Bros.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Syrian Cheesemaker and Founder of Kasbo’s Market
Madison, New Jersey
Founder of Eat Drink Explore Provisions
Peabody, Massachusetts
Cheesemaker at Perrystead Dairy
Cheesemonger at Downtown Cheese Shop
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Owner and Cheese Enabler at Cheeseneeds.com
British Columbia, Canada
Owner and Head Cheesemonger at Bloomy Cheese & Provisions
Dobbs Ferry, New York
Vice President and Specialty Foods Operations Manager at High Lawn Farm
Lee, Massachusetts
Scott Robbins & Andrea Siefring-Robbins
Co-Founders of Urban Stead Cheese
Cincinnati, Ohio
Joshua James Franklin, ACS CCP
Proprietor of Eat Lucio
Sales for Ripe Specialty Foods
Richmond, Virginia
Head Cheesemonger at Guido’s Fresh Marketplace
Great Barrington, Massachusetts
Owner of Agnes Restaurant & Cheesery
Pasadena, California
Owner and Master Cheesemaker at Roelli Cheese Haus
Shullsburg, Wisconsin
Events Manager at Antonelli’s Cheese
Austin, Texas
Sarah Simiele, ACS CCP
Co-Owner and Cheesemonger at the Curd Nerd and the Wedge
Syracuse, New York
Cheesemonger at the Mouse Hole Cheese Shop
President of the New Mexico Cheese Guild
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Writer and Co-Owner of Catskill Wagyu at Hilltop Farm
Founder of Meeting of the Milkmaids
Accord, New York
Educator at Murray’s Cheese
Sensory Storyteller and Founder of Trust Your Taste
Brooklyn, New York
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