Farmer's Pick: Your Friendly Neighbourhood Market

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Johnny, the Cheese Guy

This is a real family business. I'm Alfonso's brother. But that's not why I got the job. I've been in this business since I was eleven. So I guess you could say I know my cheese.

It's a good thing, too. Because we've got so many different varieties here. I can't think of anywhere in town with a wider selection than us. Provolone alone, we carry four different types. We've got three sizes of Bocconcini. Parmesan - well, I'd have to count.

We're a lot like one of those old-style, traditional European cheese shops, the sort of place you hardly see anymore.

I think customer service is my favourite part of this job. It's very satisfying when someone comes in with a recipe and you can help them select something that works really well with the meal and suits the tastes of their guests. And it's great when they come back and they tell you how much everybody loved the meal and gushed about the cooking.

• Meet the Owner
• Meet the Greengrocer
• Meet the Butcher
• Meet the Cheese Guy
• Meet the Deli Man
• Meet FNG Italian Bakery

I also enjoy it when people want help to discover different cheeses. Somebody might say, "I love sharp cheddar, but I want to try something new." And I can maybe suggest a Crotonese, for example. Which is fun because it's not only a great, sharp table cheese, but it's something you won't find at a chain store so it's a little bit exotic.

I can always let people sample the cheese because we cut and pack all our cheese right here in the shop. The large stores cut and shrink-wrap their cheese in one location then ship it all over the place. Ours comes to us in 30 kilogram wheels and we cut it as we need it. So it's much fresher than the stuff most people are used to.