“I would recommend getting her a pound of Edam and several ounces of grapes to go with that. The Edam’s nutty, buttery flavor will complement the tart grapes well.”
While other working students are busy with tutoring, babysitting, and washing dishes, senior Camille Creighton provides refined cheese recommendations for her customers at Market Hall.
Two days a week, Creighton manages The Cheese Counter, which offers up to 150 different cheeses throughout the year. Their cheese selections come from all around the world, from places like Ireland, France, and Switzerland, as well as local farms in Point Reyes, California.
“It is interesting that so many people from different parts around the world come to Market Hall because we have such a wide variety cheese,” Creighton said. “Market Hall brings people from all over together. It is truly a store of multiculturalism.”
As a child, Creighton said she enjoyed watching Masterchef with her mother, fostering her passion for food.
“In the third grade, I opened up my business called Camille Sweet treats where I sold baked goods to my mom, her coworkers, and my neighbors,” Creighton said. “Then I just became more interested in the culinary world and wanted to work at the bakery in Market Hall.”
Creighton got her cheese job by chance early in 2017. Initially, she applied to work the Market Hall Bakery but was referred to the cheese department due to an open position, Creighton’s mother Teresa Drenick said.
“I initially wanted to work in the bakery because I wanted to learn more about baking, which I often do for fun,” Creighton said. “But I am happy that I got placed at The Cheese Counter since I never learned about a whole different side of the culinary world.”
In the year she has been working, Creighton said she has become more familiar with different styles of cheeses, including fresh, unaged, mature, and complex. For example, young cheese tends to be softer and thus better for melting. Whereas the more mature or aged a cheese is, the less moisture it has and it becomes harder, making it better suited as a topping or garnish.
“Cheese is quite similar to wine in the sense that people know that there are complexities in making it but don’t really pay attention to the processes,” Creighton said. “It’s really interesting to compare the flavor profiles of cheeses made with different styles. Like the longer a cheese ages, the sharper and more complex its flavor becomes.”
When giving customers cheese recommendations, Creighton said she evaluates the flavor profiles they enjoy by asking what types of cheese and foods they like.
“Recommending cheeses to customers is always really fun,” Creighton said. “Not only are you helping them find something they will enjoy, but it is also adjusting to what they like and predicting what they might prefer.”
Creighton’s recommendations and cheese knowledge are not confined to The Cheese Counter, however, said friend and senior Henry Saunders.
“There was one time when we were out getting food and [Creighton] decided to order some charcuterie for us,” Saunders said. “Unsurprisingly, she chose very good selections that were delicious. It’s funny because cheese is something that we eat on a fairly regular basis yet we don’t really know that much about it. I think it’s amazing that [Creighton] knows so much about it.”
This past summer, Creighton spent time on a family friend’s cheese farm where she got to see the process of turning milk into cheese and the aging processes. Additionally, when her family went abroad to Spain, Creighton was able to trace the cheeses sold in the market to cheese sold at The Cheese Counter, Drenick said.
“I’ve always wanted to become a baker as a side job, but I definitely want to stay connected to cheese in the future,” Creighton said. “Maybe I’ll pick up another food to learn about.”
