Josh Windsor

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

I grew up in a family where meals were extremely important. We ate together at a specific time every day, where we often discussed what we would eat at our next meal. Talking about food, especially fresh tomatoes and corn, was where we found common ground.

Food has always been an intricate part of my identity. It didn’t hurt that my father was an analytical chemist who worked in food products, among other things. This is where the science-y part of my culinary thinking comes from.

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

Majoring in philosophy has unexpectedly served me well on my circuitous path to artisan cheese. Carving out a few years to hone my critical thinking skills has been a benefit in every career I have undertaken. It has been the base that keeps me curious and asking as many questions as possible.

More recently, like within-the-last-decade recently, taking a risk and starting over at an internship in the Murray’s Cheese Caves was one of the best decisions I ever made. Working and producing artisan cheese has been fulfilling in ways I never expected, and it took a long time for me to find that niche.

Q. How has your career evolved over the years?

I’d borrow the term, punctuated equilibrium, from evolutionary biology to describe my career. I’ve been a systems integrator, apprentice locksmith, performing arts administrator, forklift driver, bagel baker, construction worker, and now, affineur. It is a complicated narrative to pull them all together. I have learned something from each of those jobs that I still use today.

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

I have been fortunate to have had many leaders mentor me. I once worked for a contemporary dance company in Seattle, led by the choreographer, Donald Byrd. In the middle of a long argument, he stopped me and said, “If you are going to spend all this time saying something, you should have something to say.” He meant that I should be developing my own voice and not simply repeating what I’ve heard from others. This dogged approach to personal authenticity has definitely shaped how I approach specialty cheese.

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

I think the conversations we are having about food and many people’s personal relationship to the things they are eating are rapidly changing. People want to know more about their food — where it comes from, how it is made, what its health impacts are, how it is priced, etc.

What isn’t clear is how to get the answers. Being able to center that expertise at the counter and provide not only delicious food, but sound information and guidance, is becoming a necessary skill set these days.

Q. What hobbies do you enjoy outside of work?

I love working in a cave all day, so it shouldn’t surprise anyone that my personal time is mostly spent in dark interiors. I could easily while away every evening in a theater watching plays, films, opera, and dance performances. I’m a pushover for a good story. I’d like to think a little of that theatricality shows up in the cheeses I have worked on at Murray’s over the years.