Robert Kaufelt facts for kids

Robert Ian Kaufelt, born on October 7, 1947, is known for his work with fancy supermarkets and special foods. He used to own Murray's Cheese, a very famous cheese shop. Many people say he made Murray's Cheese as popular and well-known as an "Apple Store" is for electronics, but for cheese! In 1991, he bought Murray's Cheese, which was the oldest cheese shop in New York City. He helped it become a place known all over the country for its amazing food. Robert Kaufelt is also an author, a teacher, and a popular speaker in the food world.

Early Life

Robert Kaufelt was born in Highland Park, New Jersey. He came from a family who owned grocery stores. His grandfather, Irving, came from Poland and opened a store called Kaufelt Brothers Fancy Groceries in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, in 1920. Robert's father, Stanley P. Kaufelt, owned a chain of 28 grocery stores called Mayfair Supermarkets Inc., which operated under the name Foodtown. In 1995, his father sold Mayfair Supermarkets to a company from the Netherlands called Ahold.

Career

Early Career

After finishing college at Cornell University in 1969, Robert Kaufelt started working for his family's company, Mayfair Supermarket Inc. He eventually became the president of the company. In 1985, he left Mayfair to open his own special food stores. These stores were called Kaufelt's Fancy Groceries, named after his grandfather's first store. They were located in Princeton and Summit, New Jersey. These stores were known for their high quality and great service. When the Princeton store didn't do well in 1987, Kaufelt sold the Summit location and moved to Greenwich Village in New York City.

Murray's Cheese

When Robert Kaufelt arrived in New York, he learned that Louis Tudda, who owned Murray's Cheese at the time, was losing his store's lease. Kaufelt bought the store's name and its remaining cheese. Throughout the 1990s, Kaufelt worked hard behind the counter to make the business a success.

During his time as owner, Kaufelt grew Murray's Cheese into a very big business. It became a major part of the special cheese market across the country. Murray's Cheese was named "one of the best cheese shops in the world" three times. In 2005, Kaufelt was featured on the cover of the Cornell Alumni Magazine. The magazine said he was "leading a cheese revolution." The Oxford Companion to Cheese book also mentions Murray's. It says the shop has a "worldwide reputation for outstanding quality."

Besides the main store on Bleecker Street in Greenwich Village, Kaufelt opened another branch. This new store opened in Grand Central Terminal in 2002. Later, in 2012, he opened a restaurant called Murray's Cheese Bar.

Innovations

After buying Murray's in 1991, Robert Kaufelt added special aging rooms in the basement. These rooms, called "caves," had controlled temperatures. There was even a window on the sidewalk so people could watch the "cavemasters" age the cheese. This process is called "affinage."

Kaufelt also opened a classroom to teach people about cheese. Both food professionals and the public could learn about cheese and how to pair it with other foods. They even had a 3-day "Cheese U Boot Camp." He also created the Murray's Certified Cheese Professional (CCP) program. This program helped cheese experts get professional recognition, like pastry chefs or wine experts (sommeliers). Students must pass a difficult test from the American Cheese Society. This group helps support cheese makers in North America. More than 5,000 people have taken the training. Hundreds of Murray's Cheese staff, including those in Kroger supermarkets, are now certified cheese professionals.

According to a magazine called Edible Manhattan, Murray's was a starting point for many important food businesses today.

Kroger Partnership

In 2005, Kaufelt started working with Kroger Company, a large supermarket chain. By 2016, this partnership helped Murray's Cheese shops open in 350 Kroger locations across the country. Today, there are over 800 Murray's cheese shops inside Kroger stores. These include other Kroger chains like King Soopers, Ralph's, Fry's, and Fred Meyer.

In 2017, Kroger bought Murray's Cheese from Kaufelt. He continued to work with them as a "strategic advisor." When the sale happened, Murray's also included its classroom, cheese caves, an import company, an early online website, a catalog, the restaurant, its own brand of cheese, and a mac and cheese idea.

Awards

• Prud Homme from La Guilde Internationale des Fromagers (2017)
• Garde et Jure from La Guilde Internationale des Fromagers (2004)

Personal Life

In 2010, Robert Kaufelt married Nina Planck. She is a food writer and started farmers' markets. Nina Planck founded London Farmers' Markets and wrote a book called "The Real Food Cookbook." The couple lives in New York City and in Stockton, New Jersey. They have three children: Julian, born in 2006, and twins Jacob and Rose, born in 2009. In 2010, Kaufelt released a music album called Sweet Virginia Girl, which he dedicated to Nina.