The Tamesis
Hesse’s father, John, also helped call shoppers at the auction. Her parents attend almost every month. Over the years, John worked as a chef in restaurants in Manhattan and on Long Island, where Hesse grew up. As a result, she was immersed in the food industry from an early age. “I always wanted to keep her out of the restaurant business,” John said. “She managed to slip in through the back door and work in the food industry.” Did his career guide hers? “I have a very sensitive palate, you know, I taste for a living. She inherited that,” he added.
For Hesse, her passion for her job has helped her persevere through the dark days and challenges of running a small business, and the fact that hundreds of people attended Saturday’s auction made her reflect on why she started warehouse auctions in the first place. It was January 2023, and she had no money. She just needs to sell some cheese to get some cash flow. In past years, she said, she would be happy if sales topped $1,000. On Saturday, she made more than 10 times that amount.
