East Sacramento’s soon going to get extra cheesy. The Cultured & The Cured will be opening in late-October, bringing artisanal cheeses and charcuterie to 3644 J St. and focusing on producers from throughout the western United States. While The Cultured & The Cured won’t make any products in house, the owners will be tapping into such purveyors as Achadinha Cheese Company of Petaluma, Fra’Mani Handcrafted Foods of Berkeley and Olympic Provisions, the Washington state company known for its salami and other cured meats.

Andrew Hillman, who owns the business with wife Kelly, estimates The Cultured & The Cured will carry 120 cheese selections upon opening and plans to expand to 150 cheeses. Once a beer and wine license is secured, the shop will also sell grilled cheese sandwiches, gourmet mac ‘n’ cheese, salads and soups along with its cheese and charcuterie plates.

“Everything will be cut to order,” said Andrew Hillman. “We’re bringing back the cheesemonger and letting people taste things before they order. My wife and I always thought about opening a cheese and charcuterie store and decided to go for it.”

Hillman served previous stints as a chef at the former David Berkley Fine Wines & Speciality Foods and taught locally at Le Cordon Bleu. If all goes to plan, look for The Cultured & The Cured to open the week of Oct. 21.

In related cheese news, the American Cheese Society will be holding its annual convention next August at the Sacramento Convention Center. The event, known as the largest cheese-related gathering in the United States, is expected to draw 1,100 industry professionals and foodies to Sacramento. Hillman says he’s looking forward to showing off his shop to convention attendees.