Scott joined our Specialty Foods team in 2019, helping to sell everything from sardines to marmalade. “I had been working in food for a long time,” Scott says, “but never had a chance to directly interact with the end consumer of what I was making, so I wanted to work directly with customers.” Scott chose Zingerman’s Deli because of our relationship with our guests and our reputation for good service. Beginning in 2021, Scott began to work more closely with our selection of cheeses.
Say Cheese!
Cheese wasn’t always such an important part of Scott’s life. Living in the Midwest, cheese is a pretty ubiquitous ingredient; you can find a block of cheddar in most people’s fridges. But Scott’s trip to Wisconsin in 2021 changed his perspective. The flavor and quality of cheese depends on the weather, the grass, the cows grazing on it – it’s a real agricultural product that varies by region and season! “It crystalized the value of cheese for me,” he says. “Visiting those places, learning, working, meeting the people that make it, it changes your perspective.”
Scott works specifically with domestic cheeses. The Deli has been working with the American Cheese Society since it began in the 80’s; together, people like Scott help promote the domestic production of cheese. Unlike imported products (think Camembert, Parmigiano Reggiano, etc), people aren’t as familiar with the range of American cheeses and don’t ask for them by name. “The work that I do,” says Scott, “is about helping people learn that a cheese from Indiana or Wisconsin can be as good as anything you’d find abroad.”
One of Scott’s favorite parts of his job is working with small domestic cheesemakers. the better taste, he gets to experience first-hand the impact our buying has on these small producers. Buying from a large conglomerate doesn’t have the same effect as an order placed to a smaller company in terms of success. “They notice,” Scott says. “It’s a beneficial relationship.”
What Scott likes most of all is working with guests on how to interrogate taste. Teaching guests how to move beyond the simple question of “do I like it?” and instead asking why they like or dislike it, what sort of flavors are emerging, what are you looking for in terms of taste, is a very fulfilling part of the job. He says, “Nailing that down, with a stranger off the street, is what gives them an extraordinary experience. You can give someone something that they walked in wanting, but they’d never heard of, and didn’t know how to ask for, if you as the salesperson know how to ask the right questions.”
5 Fun Facts
Since his time working at the Deli, Scott has been quoted in Real Simple magazine twice!
Scott’s favorite cheese is currently Extra Aged Appalachian from Meadow Creek.
Scott believes bread and butter is the most important Deli purchase.
Scott’s favorite rice on our Deli shelves is KC’s Best Minnesota Wild Rice.
Scott currently owns 29 different tins of Epices de Cru spices.
