Meet Jake Heller, Philadelphia’s very own award-winning cheesemonger.
This past June, Heller took home the gold at the Cheesemonger Invitational, the crème de la crème competition of American cheese mongering. After four days of slicing, wrapping, testing, pairing and more, Heller emerged victorious, not only representing his native turf city of Philadelphia, but also his roots outside the city, which made him the monger he is today.
Heller was born and raised in Narberth, a neighborhood on Philadelphia’s Main Line. When he was 16 years old, Heller saw a help wanted sign on the door of Narberth Cheese Company and took a job there to add to his weekly allowance. He was unfamiliar with the world of fancy cheeses, more closely accustomed to pre wrapped, single-slice, orange cheese and wax wrapped babybels.
“I was 16 years old. I didn’t feel like I knew too much and I still don’t. But it seemed like other people didn’t know about this product either,” said Heller. “I really quickly made it my mission to learn more about all of these cheeses that I’ve never heard of, to become great at talking to people about cheese, to be good at selling cheese because it gave me almost, like, a little confidence boost to be good at something at that age. And then it just really stuck.”
After spending his bus rides to school with a stack of flashcards in his hands, memorizing everything from milk type to region of origin, cheese began to intertwine itself in Heller’s life, even outside of the Narberth Cheese Company. Even now, Heller talks about how his professional cheese life seeps into his personal life.
“I think I am unique in the sense that cheese is not just a job for me,” Heller says. “Cheese is my life.”
The art of cheese
In his early days at Narberth, Heller sat down with Patrick Cochran of Cochrane Farm in upstate New York. He was tasked with tasting all of his cheeses, and choosing which should be sold in the Narberth Cheese Company. Heller recalls his interaction with Cochran, and notes it as a formative experience in his career.
“Sitting down with Patrick, he talked with a French accent, so romantic in the way he spoke about cheese and cheese making,” Heller said. “He gave me a taste of his cheese called the Oriskany, and he described the flavors like a movie plot that’s kind of like unraveling in your mouth.”
“Just hearing him talk about this process, It’s like that ratatouille moment where you’re like, ‘Oh, this is what it can be like,’” Heller continued. “It has this possibility of having so much emotional connection. That really stuck with me and that was a big inspiration.”
Heller later took a job at Downtown Cheese in Reading Terminal Market. There, he was able to peak deeper into the cheese industry by attending the Fancy Food Show, a biannual conference where suppliers of specialty foods showcase their products.
Heller said his position at Downtown Cheese, though much more managerial, was something he saw himself doing forever. He engrained himself in the Reading Terminal Market community, getting to know his customers while sharpening his cheese expertise.
“When I left [Downtown Cheese] I was really enjoying it still and I was so friendly with all my customers, I partially expected myself to be like that guy who’s like 80 years old and still working at the Terminal Market at Downtown Cheese and just waving to everyone and everyone knows him.”
Monger to maker
After seven years at Downtown Cheese, a friend of Heller’s who was working at Perrystead Dairy introduced him to Yoav Perry. His friend had planned on leaving Perrystead and recommended Heller to take over for him. From there, Heller slowly transitioned away from Downtown Cheese, making the jump from sales to production – from monger, to maker.
“I think Jake and I have been in the same cheese circles for a while, but somehow we never actually met until a former employee who was moving away said, ‘Hey, I’m out, but I got this guy,’” explained Perry. “You can sense when you get someone who gets it.”
Yoav Perry is the owner and managing partner of Perrystead Dairy, a cheesemaking operation on the corner of Hancock Street and Cecil B. Moore Avenue. Perrystead Dairy has been open since March 2021, and in their three years of business have earned 16 awards for the cheese they produce. Most recently, Perrystead Dairy received two 1-star awards and one 2-star award from The Great Taste Awards, the world’s largest food and drink accreditation scheme.
Perrystead Dairy has expanded their business into the vending industry with their very own cheese dispensary, a concept that Perry derived from practices used in rural European towns. In a city with so much color and depth, Perrystead Dairy adds its own layer of creativity and character. Their 24/7 cheese dispensary sits inside a vibrant red booth in front of the building, matching perfectly with the red Perrystead Dairy logo plastered on their pristine white facade.
“If you want to have a world class operation, you need to have world class people,” said Perry of Heller.
Sharp skills
Even with the transition to cheesemaker, the monger within him never left. In 2023, Heller applied to compete in the Young Cheesemonger of the Year competition, hosted by the Academy of Cheese. Heller was one of six applicants accepted to participate and took second place as a first time competitor.
His next feat was the Cheesemonger Invitational. More than 40 of the best cheesemongers in the country gather in Brooklyn, New York, to showcase their talents in a series of challenges ranging from trivia to cheese pairing. The Cheesemonger Invitational was an event Heller had always aspired to compete in, but did not gain the confidence for until a friend nudged him to apply following his success at the Young Cheesemonger of the Year competition.
“I’ve known about it for a long time and I always wanted to do it. I was always a little intimidated because I’d see these videos of incredible mongers that I knew and respected up on stage and I was like, maybe one day I’ll be that person,” Heller said.
His victory at the Cheesemonger Invitational brings him one step closer to the Mondial du Fromage, an international competition held in France that Heller hopes he can one day compete in. Until then, He plans to continue to sharpen his cheesemaking craft at Perrystead Dairy.
When he’s not at Perrystead or competing in cheesemonger competitions, Heller enjoys rock climbing, riding his electric scooter, and exploring Chinatown with his partner, Jocelyn.
With the recognition that followed his successes at the Cheesemonger Invitational, Heller homes the spotlight on his larger purpose: giving back to the cheesemaking community. Even beyond the hand he has had in expanding the cheese community in Philadelphia, Heller hopes to be able to provide resources to his fellow cheese lovers – whether its cheese making classes, information sessions or local collaborations.
“I have definitely noticed working as a cheesemonger that there are these perceptions of cheese that stop people from feeling like they are part of the cheese community,” Heller explained. “I always like to challenge that and try to break down these barriers that stop people from approaching “fancy cheese.” I really don’t think there’s any cheese too fancy for anyone out there.”
