Meat and cheese company sponsors charcuterie club at Monacan High School

RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) - Jack Cheatham, a senior at Monacan High School, wanted a way to bring his school together during the pandemic.

“Charcuterie is awesome, and also, I noticed after COVID the school was a little bit more divided, there was a lot more cliques, and I wanted a way for people to meet new people, and I think this is a great way to do it,” said Cheatham.

When the club was first started, they expected just a few people to show up, but it turned into nearly 100 students coming in attendance.

Meat and cheese company Dietz and Watson of Philadelphia saw a story about this club and was blown away.

“This is such a forward-thinking idea - for young kids to come up with something like this - so we went all out. Brought a lot of product out, brought our cheese specialist out,” said Steve Riley.

One Dietz and Watson family owner saw the story and immediately reached out to Monacan High to sponsor the club.

The company provided all the students with a bag full of meats, cheeses and a charcuterie tray. They even worked with a local retail customer, Tom Lenard’s Farmer’s Market in Glen Allen, to acquire fresh fruits and vegetables for the trays.

“I think creating a culture of interest of what you are actually eating and being conscientious what you are putting into your body especially fostering that in a younger crowd, is so important,” said cheese specialist Jeff Kampa.

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