Stephen Gellert

Q. Can you tell us a bit about your upbringing and how it has shaped you?

Growing up in the cheese industry was a lot of fun. As I kid, I would often tag along to work and help staple product guides or just run around the warehouse. It has always been great working with my dad and also running into all my cousins and uncles at the various food shows.

I remember any time we went on vacation, my family’s first stop would often be a supermarket cheese section. This drove me crazy as a kid.

On my first trip without my parents, I found myself in a supermarket with the person I was dating at the time, and it hit me that everything had come full circle. Food, especially cheese, was something I loved, and always had on my mind.

Q. What were some of the pivotal moments that led you to where you are today?

In early 2010, we purchased Crystal Foods. This was only a few months after my mom passed away from cancer. This period had a huge impact on both my personal life and career.

I really went all in on work at this time, as it was a great distraction.

I always had a solid understanding of the logistics side of cheese distribution, but Crystal Foods was really the best of the best, in terms of product selection.

Getting to work side by side with John Ciano, Stephanie, and the team they had there, really exposed me to this new world of specialty cheese. I always loved food, and to get to now work with these amazing products and go on international sourcing trips for the first time was heaven.

I was hooked.

Q. How has your career evolved over the years?

It’s been a great ride. At first, it was very focused on single job functions, and then it grew to seeing the big picture that I do now. From working in the warehouse in middle and high school, to sales and marketing in college and after, to being able to oversee the interconnection of our California and New York offices in the birds-eye view that I have today.

Q. What is the best advice you ever received and why?

My first non-cheese job out of college was working as a cold caller for a team of stockbrokers. My boss at the time was very successful and would only partially joke, “I have no idea what I am talking about half the time, but I always make sure to surround myself with the smartest people, and I know to go to them when I need to.”

We have tried hard to build a great team here. As a business owner, it is not always easy to let go or get help from others. I would say I am still working on following this advice.

Q. What deli retail trends have impacted the industry most over the last year?

Well, hopefully it is not a shift away from international products due to tariffs!

I think even after COVID, staffing is still an issue, and the need for “retail-ready” items is not going away.

At the same time, specialty shops and supermarkets don’t want to just be copies of each other, so the demand for “something different” is still there, and customers are still hungry to find exciting new items.

For us, this has been great, as we have a lot of unique artisan items that the larger distributors do not have.

Q. What hobbies do you enjoy outside of work?

I have a 3- and 4-year-old, and they are just starting to really get into fun stuff, like riding bikes, building forts, and making up their own games. I love playing with them whenever I can.

My wife and I are also still doing a good job of making it out to concerts or restaurants. It’s been a big change since before COVID. Hopefully, we can keep that up and not turn into old people too quickly.

Q. Where is your favorite place to go on vacation?

A quiet beach where I can hear waves and not a single other sound. It’s what I think about all holiday rush just to keep me going. The second we are done with Q4, inventory, and the Fancy Food Show, I try to get away to reset, even if it’s just for a weekend.