Meet our Cheesemonger
RAYMOND HOOK
40+
Years in cheese
200+
Dairies & creameries visited
Inducted into the Guilde Internationale des Fromagers
Where It Began
From Oklahoma to the World
Before cheese took Raymond Hook around the world, it was part of his childhood in rural Oklahoma. He grew up eating government cheese, and in 1984 began working with the small cheese counter inside his family’s restaurant in Norman. The selection was modest, but it sparked a curiosity that has never left him.
That curiosity took Raymond to Las Vegas, where he studied hospitality at UNLV and worked in hotel kitchens. His career expanded into specialty food distribution and cheese importing and exporting, deepening his interest in the people behind the food.
From working with chefs and retailers in San Francisco and New York to serving as general manager and cheesemonger at Atlanta’s Star Provisions, Raymond has built a career sharing exceptional cheese. He has also been honored by the Guilde Internationale des Fromagers.
The Capella Standard
Sourced, Cared For, Shared
More than 40 years into his career, Raymond still wants to taste a cheese he has never encountered. His search has taken him to dairies and creameries around the world, where he walks the farms, meets the animals, and sits down with cheesemakers to understand their work. Those relationships, together with decades of tasting and handling cheese, shape every selection at Capella.
For Raymond, finding an extraordinary cheese is only part of the job. Caring for it and helping someone discover why they love it are just as meaningful. Capella brings those commitments together: thoughtful sourcing, meticulous care, and the pleasure of sharing something wonderful.
In His Words
I was fortunate to work with a couple of chefs who taught me that quality matters early in my cheese adventure. I have been blessed with a good palate. I can taste the difference in cheeses very well. I have been buying and selling cheese for over 40 years. I can taste the cheeses with my eyes before I put them in my mouth. The rind, texture, color, and smell all give me hints of how the cheeses will taste.
Serra da Estrela was the first cheese that made me say to myself, “I want to go see who makes this cheese, how and where it is made.” It is so different from most cheeses. It is super creamy when young, uses thistle as a rennet, and is made with milk from a specific breed of sheep. It was made only by women. I had to learn more about it.
I have been a fan for so long. It was the first cheese where I understood that terroir was what made it special. It tastes like where it comes from. I have been very impressed with more dairies since then, but they were the first that I had to see.
Making great cheese is hard work. It starts with the land the animals are on, which produces the food they eat and affects the health of the animals. All of that goes into making great milk, which is where the cheesemaker’s skills start. The science involved is way more than people know or acknowledge. Then the curing and aging process begins. There is so much that goes into making high-value cheese. It is worth the difference in the price.
When I was in college at UNLV, one of my purchasing instructors told the class, “When you do business with someone and you pay them, you are acquiescing to how they do business. You are supporting their business model. Be sure it aligns with yours and shares the same values.”
It stuck with me, and I have always kept that in mind. I believe in doing dairy visits to see the animals, see the plant, and meet the people and their team who make the products we sell.
I am always in awe that people from around the world can take milk and turn it into amazing cheese. I see all the hard work that goes into making great cheese. It humbles me.
I love helping people find their next favorite cheese and seeing the joy on their face once they have tasted it. We work hard at making cheese not intimidating. It is a food that love and care really make a difference in. You can taste the maker’s hard work.
“Cheese is love.” It is an expression of the skill and craftsmanship of farmers, dairy people, makers, affineurs, and retailers. Every link in the chain adds value, and all contribute to the customer tasting something special.
We seek the best of the best, the truly outstanding versions, the ones made with care, the ones that put smiles on faces. That is what I want people to feel.
