While other people were stocking up on toilet paper, hand soap, and yeast, I was hoarding cheese. Not proud of it, but we all have different priorities. When my daughters come home for a visit, a common question they ask is, “What’s there to eat besides cheese?” OK, so I have a cheese drawer, don’t you? Mine is filled to the brim, always. While it’s not uncommon for me to forget to buy milk or bananas, I never forget to buy cheese. When the pandemic took the fun and frequency out of grocery shopping, I was thrilled to discover a couple of RVA businesses that cater to cheese-o-files.

 

Truckle Cheesemongers to the rescue. What is a Truckle, you ask? “A small, barrel-shaped cheese, especially cheddar”. Touted as RVA’s very own dedicated cheese shop, they offer cut-to-order cheese and charcuterie that their “cheese fairy” will deliver to your door on Tuesdays and Fridays. And if you are a cheeseaholic like me, you may want to sign up for their cheese share program and receive a thoughtful collection of curated cheeses each month. Check out their international selections like, Italian Taleggio which they describe as “Flavorful with just a flirt of funk.” Or try their savory and sharp homemade beer cheese or pimento cheese made with Spanish piparra peppers. 

 

Swiping through Instagram one day, I discovered @rvacheesegirl and was mesmerized by her ability to aesthetically design the most mouthwatering cheese boards on the planet. What’s cool is that they are custom-ordered, handcrafted, seasonal boards curated to highlight RVA’s finest ingredients. Cheese Executive Officer, Emmie Lewis says her business first started as a side hustle and “quickly turned into a sprint”. Her goal is to create a beautiful, curated product that brings people together. Scroll through her Instagram photos and you’ll see why I’m obsessed.