Cheesemonger (noun)
1. A purveyor of cheese; or
2. Your new best friend; AND
3. A terrific life guide.
Dubbed by adoring Cheesetique customers, the “Cheese Lady” is fitting for Jill Erber, a passionate cheesemonger who’s been bringing her love of fromage to cheese enthusiasts in the DC Metro area since 2004.
Prior to her career as a professional cheese wrangler, Jill was on a very different career path. She graduated with a degree in computer science and worked for a technology company during the tumultuous dot-com bubble burst. Leaving her at a crossroads, Jill began working for her brother-in-law who owned a food distribution company. In her new role, Jill worked directly with DC chefs selling butter, flour and most importantly, cheese. Her interest piqued and Jill began to learn everything she could about cheese. For the love of cheese and a life-long desire to have her own business, Jill decided to open up her first cheese shop in Alexandria, VA.
To her delight, Cheestique became a local favorite. Her loyal customers soon began to encourage her to expand and offer a place to sit and enjoy all her cheese offerings. With her family’s support, Jill was inspired by the community and opened two more stores before her most recent opening at Mosaic District.
“I can’t imagine wanting to do anything else. It’s the greatest life ever. As a parent and spouse, I’m under a lot of pressure, but being an entrepreneur gives me control over my own destiny. If it doesn’t work, it’s on me.”
Jill is often accompanied by any of her three daughters in her new shop at Mosaic. As an entrepreneur, she is passing along her lessons learned to each daughter. “As a woman and business owner, it’s my responsibility to teach them; I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”
Opening four stores in 14 years, Jill has amassed an impressive inventory of 600+ local and international cheese types throughout her shops. Cheesetique at Mosaic is the largest of the locations, serving as a home to all things cheese and its fine pairings: wine, jams, charcuterie…the works.
Living the gouda-life, Jill’s mantra is to “focus on the miracle of what you are consuming. Enjoy the moment.”
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