Cheese Retailers April 2024

specialityfoodmagazine.com 23 ONLYWORKINGWITH NICE PEOPLE FROM THE STARTWAS PART OF A LOOSE BUSINESS PLAN THAT REWARDEDMEWHEN I NEEDED IT arm on-site has meant that customers can try before they buy. “We sell what we cook and cook what we sell, so customers can understand the deli products on our lunch menu and purchase some cheese for home after trying it.” With customers ranging from true locals, Londoners moved to Norfolk ‘locals’, Airbnb owners and their guests, plus visitors from Norwich BEST-SELLING CHEESES NEALSYARD CREAMERY DORSTONE A fresh goats cheese boasting amousse-like texture, a lemony-fresh flavour and just a hint of goat. nealsyardcreamery. co.uk MONTGOMERY’S OGLESHIELD A soft, rich and pungent cheesemade from themilk of Jersey cows. montgomerycheese. co.uk STICHELTON DAIRY STICHELTON With a rich, crumbly texture and an unparalleled depth of flavour, Stichelton delivers a rollercoaster of tangy, spicy and nutty notes. stichelton.co.uk SINODUNHILL The yoghurt like flavour of this cheese is complemented by a delicate, almost red-fruit flavour from the rind. nortonandyarrow. co.uk and elsewhere, Tom and his team are proud to host “well travelled and fun people who are open to new food and drink. They love cheese and embrace everything we put on the counter.” For his customers, Tom will go above and beyond. “I’ve managed to source everything customers have asked for; I even picked up a Brillat Savarin Truffle for a regular on a quick London visit as we had sold out of our Christmas allocation and I knew it was their favourite.” Having a number of loyal customers despite being entirely new to the cheese-selling game is one of Tom’s greatest triumphs. “I had zero experience of running a food and drinks business [before opening], so to be approaching our third year and seeing the same customers again and again for weekly cheese, Christmas cheese, and picking up anything new we post on Instagram as they trust us is hugely rewarding.” 2022: a challenging year A professional mantra to only work with good people came good when a personal crisis impacted Tom and the Star Plain business. “My mum suffered a brain haemorrhage in September 2022, just as food and drinks prices were being hit by inflation and energy bills were rising, so with her in a London hospital and my family keeping a constant bedside vigil for months, I was hugely distracted and didn’t adjust prices or support my team,” says Tom. “Luckily, my suppliers supported me as I traded through the period of extremely tough cashflow. I was fortunate not to have to close owing to their patience and understanding. My last role was head of sales for a fashion brand so I knew being open and honest with suppliers was imperative, and only working with nice people from the start was part of a loose business plan that rewarded me when I needed it.”