When it comes to selecting the perfect cheese for any occasion, you can rest assured that the Wegmans cheese department will have what you are looking for. Cathy Gaffney, vice president of Wegmans specialty cheeses and deli, and Mathieu Callol, Wegmans affineur, are passionate about the cheesemaking process and educating people about the variety of ways cheese can be shared and enjoyed, especially during the holidays.

Cathy has been with Wegmans for 30 years, 20 of those have been focused on various roles in the cheese department that she now leads companywide. Her dedication to quality and education have made her a respected figure in the global cheese industry. She is a strong advocate for making cheese accessible to everyone. Under her leadership, Wegmans has become a leader in the industry, offering a wide variety of high-quality cheeses from around the world.

In 2014, she assisted in the planning and design of our own one-of-a-kind cheese caves built in Rochester, New York, which mimic Europe’s famed cheese caves. We source soft cheeses from artisans around the world and ripen them in our caves.

“The goal was to develop a central location where we could control the quality of the product,” says Cathy. “In traveling Europe and learning and becoming students of cheese, we realized that having our own caves would improve the freshness, quality, and taste of our soft cheeses and improve our customer experience.”

Once the caves were built, Wegmans began the search for an affineur, a person who oversees the ripening of cheeses to ensure the peak of perfection. With a unique combination of training, experience, and his love of innovation, Mathieu was thrilled to accept the opportunity to grow our innovative ripening program.

“Wegmans reached out to me to see if I knew of anyone who might be might be interested in becoming Wegmans’ affineur,” he said. “I said, ‘no, but I’ll come.’ A grocery retailer with cheese caves? They really are like the caves cheesemakers in Europe have and I was excited about the opportunity to bring my skills to America.”

Mathieu’s expertise in cheese aging has helped create some of the most unique and flavorful cheeses on the market. He is constantly experimenting with new techniques and flavors, allowing Wegmans to offer a variety of exclusive cheeses, such as Wegmans Professor’s Brie, Sake 2 Me, and Hoppy and We Know It soft cheeses. These award-winning cheeses have received recognition from a range of competitions, including the United States Championship Cheese Content, the American Cheese Society, and the World Cheese Awards.

Together, Cathy and Mathieu have made Wegmans a cheese lover’s paradise, and they are committed to continuous improvement and creating even more unique flavors. So, whether you are a world-class cheese connoisseur, or just looking to try something new, you are sure to find the perfect cheeses to help make your holiday celebrations both memorable and delicious! Here are a few of their favorites that can be paired with items like salami and Wegmans Italian Classics 18 Month Prosciutto di Parma:

Blue Cheeses:

• Wegmans Traditional Blue Stilton Cheese
• Wegmans Milky Mild Blue Cheese
• Wegmans Baby Bleu Brie Cheese

Brie & Other Cave Ripened Soft Cheeses

• Wegmans Little Bo Peep Brie Cheese
• Wegmans Cave-Ripened Mild Brie Cheese, Milky
• Wegmans Cave-Ripened Professor’s Brie Cheese
• Wegmans Cave-Ripened Intense Brie Cheese
• Wegmans Garlic & Herb Brie
• Wegmans Cave-Ripened Mild Triple Crème Cheese
• Wegmans Cave-Ripened 1916 Aged Goat Cheese
• Wegmans Apple Cider Showmmmz Cheese
• Wegmans Sake 2 Me
• Wegmans Truffle Shuffle Goat Cheese

Beyond the Aisle

Listen to the conversation Cathy and Mathieu had with Senior Public Relations Coordinator Mandee Puleo about our cheese caves as well as some great cheese pairings for holiday entertaining.

Going “beyond the aisle” allows us to dig deeper into stories that highlight our people, our products, and our community in a whole new way.