Speciality Food Inspirational Cheese Retailers 2025

specialityfoodmagazine.com 15 YOUKNOWWHENPEOPLE SAY, ‘DOSOMETHING YOU LOVE AND YOU’LLNEVERWORKADAY INYOUR LIFE?’, I NEVERUSED TOBELIEVE THAT, BUTNOWI GET IT. I ABSOLUTELY GET IT! Something for everyone There are some cheeses Victoria simply won’t put in her counter (including blended), and she had intended to stick to lesser-known, small artisanmakers, but concedes there are certain types her customers demand, which has dictated what she sells. Snowdonia Cheese Co’s Rock Star is one, and Belton Farm’s Vintage Red Fox is another. “Other than these, and a few continentals like scooping Gorgonzola, Alp Blossom and a gorgeous two-year aged Spanish goats’ cheese, I stick to selling British. At the moment people are loving Yoredale, Yoredale Blue and Appleby’s Cheshire,” she says. Victoria describes her selling style as open and encouraging. “I always BEST-SELLING CHEESES YOREDALE Small batch traditionally made Wensleydale, crafted with rawmilk. curlewdairy.square. site GORWYDD CAERPHILLY A champion British territorial with creamy, buttery notes. trethowanbrothers. com GORGONZOLADOLCE Amust if you want to bring a touch of theatre to the counter. tosigorgonzola.com ALP BLOSSOM A beautiful hard- pressed Alpine cheese coated with edible flowers and herbs. hofkaeserei-kraus. de want people to try the cheese and discuss it withme. If I send themhome with a piece they haven’t tried, they might not like it, and probably won’t come back. But if they try a sample and enjoy it at home, they’ll more likely come back, buymore, and try something else.” Theymay be only two in number, but the tasting tables at Victoria’s Cheeses have proved an important part of the selling experience. “We change the cheeses every day or every two days, and the pickles might change two or three times a day,” Victoria explains. “We like to include some unusual things people woudn’t normally thinkoff, like strawberry crisps with a really nice soft cheese.” These pairings, and having an opportunity to explore cheeses beyond a small sample at the counter, further help customers in their buying decisions. And when Victoria introduced a cheese tasting evening, it sold out within two hours, with the further two events she then planned, also selling out within a couple of days. There’s a huge appetite, Victoria thinks, for foodie experiences, and cheese tastings fit the bill perfectly, being informal, fun and affordable. Indies matter Independent cheese retailers’ invaluable advice and knowledge sets them apart. Customers trust them. This is something Victoria takes seriously. “Customers who are pregnant look to me to find out which cheeses they can eat. “And I did a special order box this year of Spanish cheese for a lady who couldn’t get to her friend’s wedding in Spain because she was going through chemo. These are those touches you won’t find in supermarkets. And people want that service. It matters to them,” Victoria adds.