Speciality Food Inspirational Cheese Retailers 2025

specialityfoodmagazine.com 23 I REALISED EARLY ON YOU HAVE GOT TO GIVE PEOPLE A REASON TO COME IN. YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO OFFER THEM SOMETHING THAT’S DIFFERENT FROM ANY OTHER TYPE OF OPERATION A different kind of customer Indie shoppers in Jersey have quite different expectations to those on the mainland, Florian explains. Being so close to France, “people are much more interested in French cheeses than English, as much as I try to push them”. The ratio, he says, is 20-30% British to 70-80% continental. Increasing the number of cheeses at Relish was a no-brainer for him. “The very obvious thing was that cheese was the direction for the shop. It’s a small island, with only 100,000 people, there’s not much competition.” Around 100 varieties fill the counter at any time, with goat and sheep cheeses continually rising in popularity, he says, adding that a number of customers have asked for these due to their intolerance to cow’s milk. “They’ve become really important.” He continues, “The way people are shopping has changed considerably since I’ve been here. I realised early on you have got to give people a reason to come in. You have to be able to offer BEST-SELLING CHEESES GORGONZOLADOLCE Yielding and soft with a sweet, mild but tangy flavour and gentle blue veining. latteriadicameri.it DELICE DE BOURGOGNE Amoussy, velvety, bloomy-rinded cheese, crafted with added crème fraîche. fromagerie-lincet.net STILTON Multi award-winning hand-crafted cheese made usingmilk sourced within 1.5 miles of the dairy. colstonbassettdairy. co.uk them something that’s different from any other type of operation.” Florian’s art background has come in handy. “I’ve tried to ensure it [the shop] is as artistic as possible. It’s beautifully laid out, with beautiful music. The whole thing is a beautiful experience. And that’s the way you have to go with marketing shops these days. You always have to be different to everyone else.” Most items (especially cheese) at Relish aren’t available elsewhere on the island. “You also have to make sure the quality is absolutely top notch. Everything has to be the best!” Controversially (for some) this ethos means Florian will sometimes eschew local produce. He doesn’t want to sell just any old cheese, crackers or chutneys – they have to be remarkable in taste and presentation. Building trust Florian’s approach to selling cheese is to create a relationship of trust with customers. “When they come in, they trust you have good taste and, generally, if they have a good time, haven’t been pressurised, and got everything they wanted, they will come back. If they wanted a hard cheese, we’d get them to try three to four different ones to see what they like.” The team spend a lot of time talking about the cheeses, where they’re from, and how they are different from one another – and it’s something customers (be they locals or tourists) appreciate. “Giving tastings is essential. It includes customers in the buying experience. They have to be involved in it,” he says. What he loves most is sharing his enthusiasmwith everyone. “To see what they like and don’t like, and to guide them. It’s a lovely thing.”