Cheesetique was conceived and is owned and operated by Jill Erber (pictured here – the one without floppy ears).

Jill is a proud resident of Del Ray, where the shop is located. Her background is quite diverse. She graduated from The University of Chicago in 1998 with a degree in Computer Science and proceeded to work in software development in Northern Virginia for five years. For a couple years between two technology gigs, in the pursuit of “something different”, Jill began selling gourmet items to some of the finest restaurants in DC and Virginia. Those who know her were not so surprised – Jill is a profound foodie – and loves nothing more than learning about food, cooking, and entertaining. Jill finally decided that although she loved the food angle, she wanted to find some way to work for herself and focus on her favorite item – cheese! So, with the unflagging support of her husband, she founded Cheesetique in February of 2004.

In addition to Jill’s experience in gourmet wholesale, she worked for a year in a cow dairy. She has also worked on one of our local Virginia farms, Tall Cedars Farm, learning hands-on how to make cheese. Next stop – sheep farm! Of course, there’s still much to see and learn, but her experience so far has given her a tremendous appreciation for the small farm approach to cheese-making.

What you will notice right away is that Jill loves cheese. She loves people who love cheese. She loves reading about it, tasting it, and watching it being made. She also recognizes that for folks with a passion for finding great food – and for learning about it – there are few resources. Jill’s vision is to fill that void. So, please come on in - and be prepared to learn. You will probably even learn something together – but that’s the fun part!