Welcome to Ruby Albrecht, the new Long Paddock Cheese shop manager at The Mill Castlemaine.
‘We’re lucky to have someone of Ruby’s experience run our cheese shop’ explains Gaetan Chapon. ‘She has a deep understanding of cheese, having worked at Calendar Cheese Co. and Maker & Monger at the Prahran Market.’
Ruby’s love of cheese runs deep and strong. Her first inkling about the breadth of the world of cheese came in a moment when, as a young
woman, she was working at Toscano’s new cheese bar. ‘I tried the taleggio, then the
Parmigiano Reggiano,’ says Ruby. ‘It was my entry into understanding a world where so
many factors — from animal breed to different cheesemaking styles — influence every
single cheese.’
Before taking over the cheese shop, Ruby worked for months with Long Paddock’s affineur Alex Coutts, understanding their process and practice of ripening cheese. Together with a lifetime of
experience with cheese, she knows exactly when each Long Paddock cheese she sells is at
its best, as well as how to serve it and look after it.
‘My favourite cheese is the Bluestone Special Reserve,’ she says. ‘It has a zing, a punch,
some beautiful acidity. I serve it on gingerbread or speculaas, spiced Dutch cookies. Perhaps
with a glass of gamay or even a Rutherglen muscat.’
Pop on by to the Long Paddock Cheese shop, open Thursday to Sunday from 9.30am to 4.30pm, and say ‘hi’ to Ruby.
Image: Richard Cornish
