Speciality Food Inspirational Cheese Retailers 2025

IWANT TOSPARK JOY. THAT’S THEMAINTHING INLIFE. IWANTPEOPLE TO BEHAPPY ANDSURPRISED. LIFE ISHARD, SO IT’SNICE TOBEABLE TOBRINGA TINYBIT OF JOY THROUGHFOOD my first point when I was setting up the shop was to keep it local. I want to support artisan cheese.” French consumers, she adds, “have no idea about the range of cheeses made here”. Buying frommakers who share her passion for ‘slow food’ gives Emmanuelle so much satisfaction. “I’m against having any type of cheese that is mass produced. Having a knowledge of what good food is is so important. I want to share with people that buying a block of Red Leicester from the supermarket won’t make you happy. But buying a local, artisan variety will feed youmore.” Cheese with a twist A standout feature of Metz Cheesemonger is that several cheeses BEST-SELLING CHEESES GLASTONTILE A versatile, fresh, creamy goats’ cheese suitable for sweet and savoury dishes. whitelake.co.uk SUMMERFIELDS ALPINE Made in summer with organic milk from grass-fed Shorthorn cows. Warming, honied andmoreish. camphillvillagetrust. org.uk BRIE DEMEAUX DONGÈ A renowned raw cow’s milk cheese with a rich, tangy, earthy flavour. intervalexport.com BUFFALO BLUE Awell-balanced small-batch blue with a smooth texture and light flavour. shepherdspurse.co.uk have beenmatured by Emmanuelle herself. Winning a prize in last year’s Affineur of the Year awards has only fuelled her desire to pursue the art of affinage further. Creating ‘signature’ cheeses is part and parcel of cheesemongery in France, and it’s something she felt very strongly should feature in the shop. She’s been making cheeses injected with local gin, washing cheeses with Yorkshire whisky, and even partnered recently with a chocolatier to cap cheese thinly with dark chocolate. “It’s such a nice thing for me – exploring, and pushing the limits,” Emmanuelle says. A shop of surprises Experience comes first at Metz Cheesemongers. Whoever walks through the door is treated like family, and this sentiment has garnered Emmanuelle a league of fans, from older shoppers living alone who want to sample 50g of cheese and have a chat, to teenagers popping in for a snack. Being approachable and “breaking the fear” of visiting an independent cheese shop, is crucial too. “There is something more human,” about visiting a specialist retailer compared to a supermarket. “People care about the customers, and they can feel that.” As well as great service, Emmanuelle says the fact no two visits to the shop are the same intrigues customers, who pop in regularly to see what she’s been up to. “I’m changing the range quite a lot. I want to surprise people. None of them can say, ‘oh, I’ve tried all your cheeses’, yet. We always have something new and that’s important to me. I want to spark joy. That’s the main thing in life. I want people to be happy and surprised. Life is hard, so it’s nice to be able to bring a tiny bit of joy through food. “We’re like a huge family. I like having people around the table at home, enjoying food, and it’s exactly the same when I sell cheese to customers.” specialityfoodmagazine.com 19