PRINCETON: At new Palmer Square shop, c’est cheese

By Victoria Hurley-Schubert, Staff Writer
   A new fromagerie opened its doors to Palmer Square this month.
   More than 250 cheeses from around the world are going to be offered at Olsson’s Fine Foods. There are 17 bleu cheeses offered now, and more are on their way and half a dozen Goudas and at least that many triple cremes and brie varieties.
   Owners Jen and Rudie Smit are passionate about their cheese.
   ”There are tons of cheeses out there and a lot to still learn, so it would NEVER be boring,” said Jen Smit. “Rudie is really ‘The Cheese Guy.’ When we go to a tasting, he always wants to meet the cheese maker and engage in learning the who, what, where, how of the cheese. If that isn’t possible, he is doing his own research. I, however, enjoy trying new cheeses, which supports bringing new cheeses in each week. After four years in business, we still enjoy having cheese and wine for dinner a couple times a week in the summer months.”
   Making the cheese business a family enterprise wasn’t planned, but is part of Olssen’s charm.
   ”We got into the business by accident; my parents had been buying cheese from Olsson’s (in Lawrenceville) about 10 years ago and they made an annual pilgrimage to the shop just before Thanksgiving in 2006. At that time, Rudie and I were in the United Kingdom visiting my stepdaughters when we called home and found out the shop was up for sale,” said Ms. Smit. “Just before that announcement, we started discussing what we could do to exercise our entrepreneurial spirit. We came back and went to shop and thought this would be fun. Rudie is Dutch and is very well traveled. My stepdaughters are half Dutch and half English. Our babies are half Dutch and half American. I think all of us have a sense of adventure and try to take what we all know or experience to help the shop.”
   Owning a business like the cheese shop allowed the Smits to bring their children into the mix.
   ”One of our priorities was that we always wanted to do something that as a family we could put our stamp on. So you will see my stepdaughters in the store talking to customers and helping them with product selections,” she said. “Our customers really know that we are a family run business.”
   The Smits are the third owners of the 25-year-old store, now at 53 Palmer Square West.
   ”It started with a chef who wanted to use unique items in his cooking that were not readily available. Then the second set of owners brought in more cheese,” said Ms. Smit. “When we bought it, we knocked down the a wall making it double the space (in Lawrence) and added a lot more inventory.”
   The motto of the store is “try before you buy,” and customers are encouraged to taste the cheeses they are interested in and ones they aren’t interested in, as they may find new favorites.
   Customers can buy cheeses in any amount.
   ”We bring the wheel to you and we put the knife on the wheel,” said Desiree Macey, a shop employee. “You’re in charge of the knife, is this too big, too small, it’s never a quarter of a pound or half a pound unless that what’s you want, so that’s really fun and to be able to play with people’s palettes is what we have so much fun with.”
   The shop also offers a selection of 20 different olives, dried fruits, homemade chutneys and watermelon rind pickles. There is also a selection of Griggstown Farm meats and a coffee roasted just for them by a roaster in south New Jersey.
   Cheese classes, such as mozzarella making, wine and cheese pairing and Cheese 101, will also be offered at the shop over the summer.
   ”It’s fun, it’s hands-on working with the curds,” said Ms. Macey. “It’s in the hands of Rudie the owner and whatever tickles his fancy.”
   When the kitchen is finished, they will be of offering sandwiches for lunch in addition to the cheese plates that are prepared fresh daily.
   Olsson’s moved to Princeton after 25 years at the Trenton Market in Lawrenceville so they could serve their customers seen days a week. At the market, they were limited to two days a week. The new location also doubles their display space.
   Products on the shelves come from around the world.
   ”We do go to the Fancy Foods show in New York,” said Ms. Macey. “And then when they travel all over the world, they find things we need to have in the shop because we love it.”