Robert Kaufelt facts for kids

Robert Ian Kaufelt (born October 7, 1947) is a well-known person in the world of fancy food stores and special cheeses. He used to own Murray's Cheese, a very old cheese shop in New York City. Many people say he made Murray's Cheese as popular and well-organized as an "Apple Store of cheese." In 1991, he bought Murray's Cheese, which was started by Murray Greenberg. He helped it become a famous place for gourmet food all over the country. Kaufelt is an important person in the specialty food industry. He is known for his new ideas, for writing The Murray's Cheese Handbook, and for teaching others about cheese.

Early Life

Robert Kaufelt grew up in Highland Park, New Jersey. His family had been in the grocery business for a long time. 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 Mayfair Supermarkets Inc. This company ran 28 grocery stores called Foodtown. In 1995, Stanley Kaufelt sold his Mayfair Supermarkets to a Dutch company called Ahold.

Career in Food

Starting Out

After finishing college at Cornell University in 1969, Robert Kaufelt joined his family's business, Mayfair Supermarket Inc. He eventually became the president. In 1985, he left Mayfair to open two special stores called Kaufelt's Fancy Groceries. These stores were in Princeton and Summit, New Jersey. They were named after his grandfather's original store. These shops were known for their high-quality food and great customer service. When the Princeton shop closed in 1987, Kaufelt sold the Summit store and moved to Greenwich Village in New York City.

Murray's Cheese Shop

When Robert Kaufelt arrived in New York, he met Louis Tudda. Louis Tudda had bought Murray's Cheese from Murray Greenberg in the 1960s. Tudda was about to lose the store's lease. Kaufelt bought the name of the shop and the cheese that was left. Through the 1990s, Kaufelt worked hard behind the counter to make the business successful.

During his time as owner, Kaufelt made Murray's Cheese a well-known business across the country. It became a big part of the special cheese market. Three times, Murray's Cheese was named "one of the best cheese shops in the world." In 2005, Kaufelt was featured on the cover of Cornell Alumni Magazine. He was praised for "leading a cheese revolution." Murray's is also mentioned in the Oxford Companion to Cheese for its "worldwide reputation for outstanding quality."

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

New Ideas at Murray's

After buying Murray's in 1991, Robert Kaufelt added special aging rooms called "caves" in the basement. These caves had controlled temperatures. There was even a window on the sidewalk so customers could watch experts 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 different cheeses and how to pair them with other foods. This included a three-day "Cheese U Boot Camp." He also created the Murray's Certified Cheese Professional (CCP) program. This program helped cheese experts get professional recognition, similar to pastry chefs or wine experts. 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 completed this training. Hundreds of Murray's Cheese staff in New York and in Kroger supermarkets are now certified cheese professionals.

According to Edible Manhattan magazine, Murray's was a starting point for many important businesses in the "good food movement" today.

Partnership with Kroger

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

In 2017, Kroger bought Murray's Cheese. Robert Kaufelt stayed involved as a "strategic advisor." At the time of the sale, Murray's also included its classroom, cheese caves, an import company, an early online website, a catalog, a restaurant, its own brand of products, and a mac and cheese concept.

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, a farmer's market organizer, and the founder of London Farmers' Markets. She also wrote 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 an album dedicated to Planck called Sweet Virginia Girl.