A wave of new cheese shop openings across the UK has been driven by changes in working patterns, growing interest in shopping ‘experiences’ and the rise of the ‘picky tea’ at home.
Big names in British cheese including IJ Mellis, Neal’s Yard Dairy and Borough Cheese Company are opening new London stores, while outside the capital other notable new shops include The Welsh Cheese Co in Cardiff, The Cheese Connection in Bristol and a state-of-the-art cheese room at Peterley Manor Farm in Bucks.
Supermarkets are also part of the trend with M&S unveiling new-concept cheese ‘barges’ at several of its stores this year. These feature central grab-and-go barge-shaped counters filled with artisan cheese and accompaniments.
IJ Mellis, which has five shops in Scotland, will open its first shop in London at a former butcher’s in Crouch End later this month. The store will stock 70 cheeses with added space for wholesale orders. “We’ve run a successful stall at the Chiswick Cheese Market so this was the next step,” said co-owner Iain Mellis. “Bricks and mortar retailing is still strong. People want to socialise and have experiences. They want retail theatre and entertainment.”
In May, Neal’s Yard Dairy opened its fifth store in London in Baron’s Court – a residential area with a busy independent food scene. “With people working from home more we’re hoping to see more regular trade throughout the week, and not just at the weekend,” said MD Sarah Stewart. “We’re stocking eggs and bread to encourage people to pop in more regularly, which will also help boost cheese sales. We’re also next door to the Underground station so we’re expecting to be busy towards the end of the day when people are on their way home from work.”
Bristol-based The Cheese Connection, which started in 2022 as a mobile cheesemonger, opened a shop in a shipping container at Wapping Wharf last month. “We’ve built a lovely community around cheese at markets and events, so a shop was the next step,” said founder Luke Maslen, who is offering takeaway cheeseboards at the shop. “The phrase I hear all the time is ‘picky tea’. People are buying really good cheese, bread and other foods they can share with friends at home, rather than going out for dinner.”
This article first appeared in the October-November issue of Fine Food Digest.
