What makes a good cheese counter? Heidrun Mittler, who hosted the Käse-Star award ceremony organised by the trade magazine Lebensmittel Praxis, answered this question as follows: "The formula for success is not new: the best furniture, the best product range is useless if you don't have enough and, above all, not enough motivated employees." And that's why the nationwide Cheese Star award is one thing above all else every year: a tribute to the counter staff who can name each of the varieties, create fresh cheese tarts, even refine specialities themselves - and who, above all, provide dedicated, expert and friendly advice. In short: retaining customers and helping to sharpen the store's profile and set it apart from others.

This year, there were once again nine counter teams in three categories, which were selected in a complex process and presented to a panel of experts. In the end, there were three winning teams - including two from REWE.

REWE Kramer, Recklinghausen
Category: Supermarkets up to 2,000 square metres. After winning industry awards such as Supermarket of the Year, Supermarket Star and Meat Star, Ralf Kramer's 1,600 square metre REWE store from Recklinghausen (region: REWE Dortmund) picked up another star with the Cheese Star 2023. REWE Kramer has been based in Recklinghausen for over 50 years and, in addition to the REWE store, also operates a beverage store and the "Beef and Smoke Club", which organises customer evenings on cheese-related topics.

A delegation of a good dozen REWE Kramer employees from the Ruhr region travelled to the Rhine to tremble together with first employee Heike Laroche - and then cheer loudly. The six-strong cheese team is creative and competent: colleague Ilka Schiller, a qualified cheese sommelier and fromelière, came across cheese by chance: "That's how it often goes with the great loves in life." Cheese sommelier Gaby Knuth, on the other hand, celebrates success as "Käsejule" on Instagram with recipes and tips.
And merchant Ralf Kramer? He sees himself as a "platform that enables the team to realise ideas." The head of the award-winning store is less interested in trophies: "An award like this is nice, but I think it's more important that colleagues feel like a team and create something together."

REWE Centre Kiel team with first-time employee Bianca Mosel (left) REWE Centre Kiel
Category: Supermarkets of 4,000 square metres or more. Two out of three nominees in the category of large areas had REWE in their names. The REWE Center Kiel (region: REWE North) was the winner, while the REWE Center Dachau (South) was delighted to be nominated as one of Germany's best cheese counters - and one of the hottest thanks to a unique cream cheese creation with three types of chilli.

In addition to an international range, regional varieties are among the customer favourites at the cheese counter of the REWE Centre in Kiel. To be more precise: Tilsiter in all its variations. The main thing is that it is "nice and greasy and smells good, otherwise my customers won't eat it," says first-time employee Bianca Mosel, summarising the requirements for the North German cheese with the slotted holes. Mosel, who realised early on that "sausage counters are too boring and cheese is so much more fun", not only impressed with her team, product range and the extensive shopping world around cheese, such as mustard sauces, wines or cheese slicers, at the award ceremony. She also dispelled a common prejudice with her quick-wittedness: "We northerners are not as dry as we look."

The REWE Center Kiel, which is located near the Schleswig-Holstein Cheese Route, houses a cheese counter with twelve metres of service and seven metres of pre-packing area on around 6,570 square metres - and that with four employees.