Something special is coming to cheese lovers in Ybor City Local cheese enthusiasts Kelly and Paul Hays are planning to open Cheeseology this fall at 1527 E Seventh Avenue, offering cheesemaking classes, wine, beer, and more.
“This is a brand new adventure,” Kelly Hays told What Now on Monday. “I retired early, and my husband and I went out to Napa with some friends, and we made cheese there. I thought, ‘This is really fun, but I want to do something even better. I want to make mozzarella, burrata, something really good.’”
And so the idea for Cheeseology was born. Cheeseology will primarily offer cheesemaking classes, including Fresh Mozzarella with Tasting, Honey Toasted Cheese, Fresh Burrata with Tasting, and Fromage Facile. Each class comes with a flight of beer or wine, with beers sourced from local breweries and wine from a California-based distributor.
“We will be featuring a different vineyard each month,” said Hays. “Wines you can’t get around here, from all around the world.”
Apart from the wine, however, Hays says a strong emphasis will be placed on sourcing ingredients nearby. “One of our big goals is to feature everything local, so our vinegar and oil will be from Joe and Sons. Our jams and bread are made in Ybor, and we’ll get our honey from a group that teaches 3rd graders to farm bees. Everything as local as we can, that’s a big part of our business.”
Once you’ve made your cheese, you can take it home, or you can enjoy time with your friends in Cheeseology’s lounge and retail area, where more wine and beer will be available, along with a variety of charcuterie ingredients to go with your cheese.
As word gets passed around on Facebook and other social media, Ybor is getting excited about the Cheeseology opening. Originally intending to launch this summer, work on the location has faced some delays. Cheeseology is now working toward an opening in September.
