World’s biggest block of cheddar looking sharp at Stew’s

Norwalk Mayor Harry Rilling, left, joins President and CEO Stew Leonard Jr., center, and the rest of the Leonard family to unveil a 3,462 pound carved block of cheddar cheese at Stew Leonard's grocery store in Norwalk, Conn. Monday, Dec. 10, 2018. Norwalk Mayor Harry Rilling joined the Stew Leonard family to unveil the soon-to-be Guinness Book of World Records' largest cheese sculpture. The mammoth cheddar sculpture has carved into it the longtime Stew Leonard's customer service motto from its "Customer Service Rock of Commitment." More than 500 cows contributed milk to the record breaking cheese, which was carved in East Meadow, N.Y. less Norwalk Mayor Harry Rilling, left, joins President and CEO Stew Leonard Jr., center, and the rest of the Leonard family to unveil a 3,462 pound carved block of cheddar cheese at Stew Leonard's grocery store in ... more Photo: Tyler Sizemore / Hearst Connecticut Media Buy photo Photo: Tyler Sizemore / Hearst Connecticut Media Image 1 of / 56 Caption Close World’s biggest block of cheddar looking sharp at Stew’s 1 / 56 Back to Gallery

NORWALK — There’s a new Big Cheese at Stew Leonard’s.

The World’s Largest Dairy Store on Monday morning displayed a 3,462-pound hunk of sharp cheddar it says will likely be certified as a Guinness World Record.

“We’re thrilled to have everybody at Stew Leonard’s today,” said Stew Leonard Jr., as he stood in front of the cheese in the bakery section with his parents, two sisters and daughter, and Norwalk Mayor Harry W. Rilling. “This is a really sweet, beautiful, creamy cheese.”

The cheese block started at 4,000 pounds and was wittled into a the company’s Customer Service Rock of Commitment (“Rule No. 1 — The customer is always right ...”). It was sculpted over three days in August in East Meadow, Long Island, by Sara “The Cheese Lady” Kaufmann.

Monday was the first time it was displayed in Connecticut. Meghan Bell, the store’s director of public relations, said she and other employees are confident it will be named the world’s largest cheese sculpture, considering it’s about 2,000 pounds heavier than the 2015 champion.

Bell said it took more than 500 cows to produce the 4,000 gallons of milk needed for the cheese block, which is 65 inches high and 44.5 inches wide. It could take three to four months for the Guinness to respond to the store’s application, Bell said.

On Tuesday, Stew Leonard’s staff will slice and sell the cheese at its six locations in New York and Connecticut for $7.99 a pound.

“Not only is it a great cheddar,” Bell said, “It’s a cheddar with a very exciting past.”