Kroger & Murray's Cheese Associates Named Certified Cheese Professionals

CINCINNATI, Aug. 31, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) and Murray's Cheese announced today that 20 Kroger associates and eight Murray's Cheese associates have been named Certified Cheese Professionals™ by the American Cheese Society.

This breaks both company's previous records of 13 Kroger associates and four Murray's Cheese associates who achieved the ultimate in cheese recognition last year. There are now 52 Certified Cheese Professionals in the Kroger and Murray's family.

This year, all 28 associates have joined the ranks of an elite group of individuals who have passed the Certified Cheese Professional™ Exam. The exam was created by the American Cheese Society to promote the large and comprehensive world of cheeses and encourage food industry professionals to master the knowledge. 

"We are not only proud of these distinguished individuals and their professional achievement, but also of the industry's adoption of the ACS CCP designation as the standard for cheese professionals," says Nora Weiser, Executive Director of the American Cheese Society. "The entire cheese industry – from cheesemaker to consumer – benefits from the understanding, education, and professionalism of ACS CCPs. They are a testament to the growth, quality, and passion of today's American cheese scene."

Passing the American Cheese Society's CCP exam is no small feat. Before being allowed to sit for the exam, cheese people must have 4,000 hours of work and/or formal education in the cheese-field under their belt.

"When I started on the counter at Murray's 25 years ago, the job of cheesemonger didn't formally exist," said Rob Kaufelt, Murray's owner and president. "And if it did, it was certainly not at the level of a chef or sommelier. That is, we were not a profession at all back then. Now I'm proud to say that Murray's, with the help of the ACS and Kroger, is well on its way to establishing a proud, new, traditional line of work in the food industry. We are leading the country toward a new and respected profession with a formal certificate of recognition."

Through an exclusive partnership with New York City's Murray's Cheese, the Kroger family of stores features 210 Murray's counters in stores from coast-to-coast.  Featuring more than 175 cheeses and specialty goods from all over the world, the Murray's counters are staffed by associates who have been trained by the Murray's experts in New York.  For a list of Murray's in Kroger locations, please visit www.murrayscheese.com/locations.  

For more information about ACS CCPs™, please visit www.cheesesociety.org.  

Congratulations to our latest CCPs™:

Stephanie Boyd, Kroger (Nashville)
Aaron Bronson, Kroger (Indianapolis)
Glen Christensen, Kroger (Houston)
Susan Cohen, King Soopers (Denver)
Summer Coulter, Murray's Cheese NYC
Beth Ann Coulton, Murray's Cheese NYC
Rachel Freier, Murray's Cheese NYC
Blanche Ghaleb, Kroger (Houston)
Lisa Griffin, Murray's Cheese NYC
Carol Johnson, Murray's Cheese NYC
Kathy Kennedy, Kroger (Cincinnati)
Shelley Knowles, QFC (Seattle)
Jessica Kohl, Kroger (Louisville)
Monty Laursen, Fred Meyer (Portland)
Alyssa Lewis, QFC (Seattle)
Deanna Lewis, Kroger (Columbus)
James Mares, Kroger (Michigan)
Miranda McQuillan, Bakers (Omaha)
Caitlin O'Neill, Murray's Cheese (Portland)
Audrey Patterson, Kroger (Louisville)
Connor Pelcher, Murray's Cheese NYC
Shawn Pieper, Kroger (Houston)
David Rich, Kroger (Memphis)
Alexi Sandoval, King Soopers (Denver)
Nicole Smock, Ralphs (Los Angeles)
Michael Veach, Kroger (Atlanta)
Jillian Wilber, Murray's Cheese (Los Angeles)
Melissa Wood, Kroger (Cincinnati)

Kroger, one of the world's largest retailers, employs nearly 400,000 associates who serve customers in 2,626 supermarkets and multi-department stores in 34 states and the District of Columbia under two dozen local banner names including Kroger, City Market, Dillons, Food 4 Less, Fred Meyer, Fry's, Harris Teeter, Jay C, King Soopers, QFC, Ralphs and Smith's.  The company also operates 780 convenience stores, 327 fine jewelry stores, 1,342 supermarket fuel centers and 37 food processing plants in the U.S.  Recognized by Forbes as the most generous company in America, Kroger supports hunger relief, breast cancer awareness, the military and their families, and more than 30,000 schools and community organizations. Kroger contributes food and funds equal to 200 million meals a year through more than 100 Feeding America food bank partners. A leader in supplier diversity, Kroger is a proud member of the Billion Dollar Roundtable and the U.S. Hispanic Chamber's Million Dollar Club.  

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SOURCE The Kroger Co.