Stew Leonard’s Expands Cheese Shoppe

Ahead of the winter holidays, Stew Leonard’s has doubled the assortment of specialty items offered by its Cheese Shoppe departments, which now carry a curated selection of international cheeses.

“Over the past few years, Stew Leonard’s cheese specialists have seen our brie and gouda sales both rise in sales by about 10 percent,” said Stew Leonard Jr., president and CEO of the Norwalk, Conn.-based grocer. “We realized our shoppers were just as passionate in learning about cheese as they are about wine, and they were interested in not only where and how a cheese is made, but in the stories behind the cheesemaker as well. Our new Cheese Shoppe really celebrates my family’s roots in dairy farming!”

Stew Leonard’s sells 500,000-plus pounds of cheese annually, with the most popular items including handmade mozzarella, Jarlsberg, sharp cheddar, double-cream brie and gorgonzola. Each new cheese was chosen for its taste and value, boosting the assortment of brie, gouda, Swiss, blue, and newly created sheep and goat cheeses. Additionally, the grocer’s cheesemongers buy directly from family-owned farmers.

Stew Leonard’s operates four stores in Norwalk, Danbury and Newington, Conn., and Yonkers, N.Y., with a fifth store planned to open in Farmingdale, N.Y.