curds&co is an inviting, woman-owned and run cheese shop with locations in Brookline and the Boston Public Market in downtown Boston. curds&co is open to the public, available for in-person, phone and online shopping. We spoke with curds&co general manager Gillian Dana…
How did curds&co get started?
Jenn Mason and her husband Matt founded curds&co because of their passion for cheese, and a desire to share their interest in accessible education and cheese celebration with the community.
curds&co offers “curated cheese” – that sounds exciting!
Our cheese is curated in such a way that there is a vast selection that really can’t overwhelm the customer. We have something for everyone here, and I select all of our products so there is a sense of uniqueness at our shop. The best part of the job is finding a great pairing, sharing it with the customers, and watching their eyes light up. Everything we carry is intentional and has purpose.
How is curds&co different from other shops or gourmet cheese sections in markets?
curds&co is truly one of a kind. Our mongers are all intelligent, kind, wonderful people, and having that greet you the second you walk in truly is exceptional. Our staff is full of creatives: visual artists, musical artists, word artists. We have an array of talents besides splitting a wheel of Parmesan. Because of our highly curated lines, the staff is also incredibly knowledgeable about what we carry within the store, and in a lot of cases we know the maker personally!
As the general manager, it is important to me to foster relationships with producers I work with, the staff I hire, and the customers we work with. I am on a first name basis with a number of our customers not because they come in every day, but because everyone here, at every level of the company, takes time to talk with customers each time they come in. We all care about enjoying the environment we work in, and that carries to the customer. Our customers know everyone who works here, which is also really cool. It’s like catching up with friends every day.
For product uniqueness, I source small. What matters to me is getting things that people have never seen before, getting a cheese in that I know a certain customer will love (and telling them that when I see them!).
What’s the most important thing you want our readers to know about cheese?
There is a story behind every cheese, and the story often times makes the cheese more special. At curds&co, we don’t just love cheese because it tastes good, but it is something that brings people together and makes us all smile (even when life is really hard!)
Gillian, we have to ask – what’s your current favorite cheese?
My favorite cheese will forever be taleggio. It’s funky, fun, and Italian (just like me!)
curds&co
288 Washington St., Brookline | Boston Public Market, 100 Hanover St., Boston
[email protected] | www.curdsandco.com | 617.879.0565