Oh, for the love of cheese
WEST CAPE MAY – For all those naysayers who told Stephen and Barbara
White they were nuts for opening a cheese shop off the beaten path in
this even-further-off-the-beaten-path borough – in December, no less,
it’s time for you to congratulate them on their perseverance and
fortitude.
Not to mention their great taste in cheese.
Stephen, a self admitted cheese-aholic, almost sounds like Wallace, of
Wallace and Gromit fame, when he talks about his favorite food. Wallace,
much to Gromit’s chagrin, hides cheese all over the house so that he can
have a little taste whenever the urge hits him.
“Even when I’m not around cheese, which I am most of my waking moments
these days, I crave it. I eat cheese every day,” Stephen said.
“Cheeeeeese, Gromit!”
Seaside Cheese Company has survived the lean winter months, the summer
opening of a competitor’s shop on Cape May’s Washington Street Mall (it
has since closed its doors) and its location to the point now where
Stephen and Barbara have expanded the inventory from 80 varieties of
cheese to almost 130 today.
“The only thing I wish I would have done differently is make the store
bigger,” said Stephen. “I’m running out of room.”
It’s not just the cheese that’s taking over the store. Seaside Cheese
also sells homemade hummus, olives, roasted peppers, Le Bus bread, pâté,
and jellies and jams.
Open the door and you’re greeted by a daily sample tray of cheese, and
the Whites also advertise a weekly cheese special. He’ll suggest
different ways to enjoy it, recipes and what wine to pair with it.
“There are some cheeses that work well when mixed in with crabmeat for a
spread, others that are good for baking, and we have one that I like to
suggest for putting on a grill. It won’t melt, but it’ll get soft and
perfect for spreading on bread or crackers,” said Stephen.
Other popular but unique offerings include an English cheese called Red
Dragon, which is a Welsh cheddar made with mustard seed; Black Mountain,
another English cheese made with white wine, garlic and herbs; and
Trugole, made in Asiago, Italy, which you can only get in the summer and
was introduced in the United States for the first time last year.
And then there’s a cheddar cheese from Hook’s Cheese Company, a small
farm run by Julie and Tony Hook in a small Wisconsin town. It’s a
5-year-old cheddar that has won “Best Cheese in the World” and numerous
other awards.
Stephen White ordered three 80-pound blocks.
“And all of it was gone in three weeks,” he said.
Not something you would melt on nachos.
“Oh it would make a great mac and cheese, but an expensive mac and
cheese,” Stephen laughed.
Despite being the lone artisan cheese shop in the area, Stephen keeps
his prices down to keep the regulars coming in.
“We’re comparable to the Reading Terminal Market. Some of our artisan
cheeses are cheaper than Acme’s. I don’t want to kill anyone with
prices, we’re here to attract customers and serve them, not drive them
away with high prices,” he said.
Perhaps because of that philosophy, year-round and seasonal residents
have responded.
“I thank my regulars every day when they come in,” he said. “The local
community has really been supportive of what we’re doing, and I see them
so often that when I don’t see them for more than a couple weeks, I
start to worry that something’s happened to them.”
Seaside Cheese trays and samples can also be found at several bed and
breakfast inns around Cape May, including the Bedford Inn, Manor House,
and Buttonwood, and also at Cape May Day Spa.
“They’ve been real good to me, and we vary things up a bit so their
guests can sample some of our inventory,” Stephen said.
For those who want to experiment but aren’t sure of the first step,
White said he’ll provide a sample of any cheese a customer would like to
try, and for those who aren’t sure where to begin, he’ll ask them some
basic start-up questions.
“Things like do they like sharp or mild, hard or soft, spicy or plain,
and then we’ll start sampling to get an idea of what they like,” he
said. “Once we get that down, then we can start sampling to see what
works for them. And then, they’re hooked.”
“Cheeeeeese, Gromit!”
 Seaside Cheese Company600 Park Blvd., No. 35 West Cape May 884-8700 |
 Open daily Monday through
Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4
p.m.Free parking. Gift certificates and gift baskets are available for any price. Credit cards accepted. |
Photos by Jen Arthur
Rob Seitzinger can be e-mailed
at seitz[at]catamaranmedia.com or you can comment on this story by
calling 624-8900, ext. 250.
Check out his Cape Cuisine food blog