Cheesemongers manage the cheese department in specialty or artisan food shops. Their job duties include extensive tasting, relationships with farmers and cheesemakers, selecting which cheeses to purchase, knowing how all the cheeses are made and storing the cheese correctly. Cheesemongers can get specialized training in the field or also go through several years of hands-on experience.
A cheesemonger's main job is helping customers select the best cheese for their meal. You need an encyclopedic knowledge of what flavors go best with what foods and drinks, what cheeses are ripe and in season and an ability to get to know your customers and their tastes. You also need to be able to recommend a cheese when a customer asks for advice. A good cheesemonger should also offer small tastes of their cheeses to help their customers make buying decisions. How do you develop this knowledge? Eat lots and lots of cheeses, all the time.
There's even an International Best Cheesemonger Competition every year. Contestants are tested on practical knowledge, artistry, taste combinations, presentation and cutting, and they must present a tray of cheeses chosen to fit a particular theme [source: International Cheese Tours].