Cheese Retailers April 2024

in the area, the Hamish Johnston shop has developed a large and loyal following. Cheese enthusiasts in the area relish having such expertise locally, and the business’s connection with its location doesn’t end there – in fact, the majority of the shop’s staff live nearby. Plus, Jamie says, “when it comes to seasonal workers, we employ a good number of our customers’ children when they are back for the university holidays.” While a large proportion of the bricks- and-mortar Hamish Johnston site are local, that’s not to say that they all grew up with British cheese on their tables. “Our customer base is mainlymade up of local families with an interest in artisan cheeses,” explains Jamie. “Many are French expats whose children go to the French Lycee on the other side of the river in South Kensington.” 10 @specialityfood W hile Hamish Johnston might well be a familiar name to independent cheese retailers for its wholesale operation, based in Suffolk, the business began at a retail premises in London’s Battersea 30 years ago withWill Johnston at its helm. “It soon established an excellent reputation – both locally and across London – for its broad selection of artisan and farmhouse cheese,” explains Jamie Collins, shop manager. “In 2001, Will moved to Suffolk and local resident Mark Newman joined the Hamish Johnston team. As co-owners, Will andMark built up the Hamish Johnston wholesale operation, with Suffolk as its centre.” Three decades on, the Hamish Johnston shop continues to thrive, and the wholesale operation currently supplies over 350 businesses. Thanks to its longstanding presence LOCATION: NORTHCOTE ROAD, LONDON FOUNDED: 1994 FOUNDER: WILL JOHNSTON Hamish Johnston CROSS-COUNTRY CHAMPION I t is our great pleasure to introduce this year’s most inspirational cheese retailers, all of which demonstrate the best of the UK’s fine cheese retail scene. Not only do the businesses within this section of Inspirational Cheese Retailers provide ideas and inspiration for your own cheese counter, but they also share the challenges and trials that they have experienced – and successfully navigated their way through – to help remind us all that, as independent retailers, we are all in this together. I hope you find the following pages to be an inspiring, informative and supportive read. THESE BUSINESSES DEMONSTRATE THE BEST OF THE UK’S FINE CHEESE RETAIL SCENE Introducing 2024’s Inspirational CheeseRetailers LONDON & SOUTH Our greatest challenge was the loss to fire of our Suffolk warehouse back in 2022,” says Jamie. “Keeping the wholesale business running whilst relocating to a new premises was incredibly challenging. The hard work of the wholesale team and the loyalty shown by our customers meant that we were able to get through this and re-emerge fighting fit. GREATEST CHALLENGE