Chris Loughran

Owner, Storyteller

I did not grow up in a food-centric household, but that’s not to say we didn’t eat good food. My mom bakes the best apple pie in the whole damn world. My dad churns ice cream that we eat over waffles for Christmas breakfast. But in between the holidays and special occasions, I ate a lot of overcooked meats, dry sandwiches, and tons of peanut butter. Still, I don’t think it’s a coincidence that as my passion for small batch artisan food crystalized, I began expressing it through baked goods and homemade ice cream.

We opened Chantal’s Cheese Shop to follow Anaïs’ passion for artisan cheese; the beauty of the whole process from soil to table, the hard work and dedication that produces such humble, delicious, wholesome food. That initial spark has lit a fire in us, stoked on by amazing writers telling truths about our food system; Michael Pollan and Dan Barber two of the most influential for me. And we’ve been fortunate to have visited small farmers and makers, literally all of whom are gracious and beautiful hosts who took time to teach us.

We continue to evolve. I have come to see the cheesemongers’ most important role as that of storyteller – voices that carry weight in their community. It is a disservice to our community if we stop at cheese pairing suggestions and fondue recipes, although there is real joy in those conversations and experiences. We must also lead people toward a radical change in the way we eat. The intentional failures of industry are as obvious as they are impossible to see. It is the role of the cheesemonger to point people away from the pollution and destruction of industrial agriculture and toward the open pasture.

It was not all that long ago that food was just food for all but for a handful of rich people. People ate what was in front of them, what they could grow and harvest and hunt and forage. Out of this sprouted diverse food cultures across the globe. As technology has made the world smaller, it is a miracle for us mere mortals to share these rich histories at our tables. The act of sharing food is a wondrous human experience, capable of expanding minds and bringing people closer together. But the fundamentals have been stripped of integrity by corporate interests grinding our farms to dust in the pursuit of short term profits.

The stories I am interested in are the ones that look this all straight in the eye. At the beauty, yes, but at the destruction too.