Alice Bergen Phillips '05
Owner & Cheesemonger, Cheesemonster, LLC
Alice Bergen Phillips is a cheesemonger in the Washington, D.C. area. Originally from Chicago, Alice grew up in a food-loving home and traveled extensively during her childhood.
After graduating from Cum Laude from Millbrook in 2005 and then Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Bates College in Lewiston, Maine, in 2009, Alice moved to Washington, DC, to work in the international development world. After a side job at a coffee shop introduced her to the field of specialty food, Alice eventually found her way into cheese. Working at cheese counters since 2012, Alice has had to pull on complex knowledge of history, culture, science, artistry, and math, developed over her years in food service and centered on her childhood experiences with food.
After working as the head cheesemonger at Via Umbria, an Italian specialty food store in Georgetown, Alice started Cheesemonster, a mobile cheese education and catering company, in 2017.
During her wide-ranging career, Alice has had the honor of being a finalist at the Cheesemonger Invitational, creating a cheese display at the hallowed James Beard House in New York City, being featured multiple times in the Washington Post, and teaching cheese classes at the Smithsonian, amongst other exceptional experiences.
Alice delights in being a cheese confidant for her customers, pushing herself to stay on top of a market that is constantly changing and evolving. Her favorite cheese is currently Colston Bassett Stilton. But honestly, it depends on the day.
After graduating from Cum Laude from Millbrook in 2005 and then Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Bates College in Lewiston, Maine, in 2009, Alice moved to Washington, DC, to work in the international development world. After a side job at a coffee shop introduced her to the field of specialty food, Alice eventually found her way into cheese. Working at cheese counters since 2012, Alice has had to pull on complex knowledge of history, culture, science, artistry, and math, developed over her years in food service and centered on her childhood experiences with food.
After working as the head cheesemonger at Via Umbria, an Italian specialty food store in Georgetown, Alice started Cheesemonster, a mobile cheese education and catering company, in 2017.
During her wide-ranging career, Alice has had the honor of being a finalist at the Cheesemonger Invitational, creating a cheese display at the hallowed James Beard House in New York City, being featured multiple times in the Washington Post, and teaching cheese classes at the Smithsonian, amongst other exceptional experiences.
Alice delights in being a cheese confidant for her customers, pushing herself to stay on top of a market that is constantly changing and evolving. Her favorite cheese is currently Colston Bassett Stilton. But honestly, it depends on the day.
