Speciality Food Inspirational Cheese Retailers 2025

buy a shop, set it up, job done,” Jacky recalls. “Paul hadmore foresight. He did a cheese diploma so he could have ‘cheese dip’ after his name ... but he’s never actually done that,” she laughs. A landscape of change The idea for the shop, explains Jacky, was to “do cheese, and do it well”, in the style of a European food seller. “In France you buymeat from the boucherie, bread from the boulangerie, cheese from the fromagerie. That vision of just being able to focus on one thing appealed to us”. At the time of opening, the cheese industry was newly invigorating itself after the milk quota disaster, she continues. “Milk over and above would not get any subsidy. A lot of British farmers producingmilk were looking 26 @specialityfood J acky and Paul Sutton-Adam knowmore than a thing or two about cheese. After all, they’ve had three decades to learn the tricks of the trade since opening the doors to The Cambridge Cheese Company in 1994. For them, it truly is a passion. But founding the business was done rather on a whim. Having both beenmade redundant from their careers in the wine industry (“the best fun ever”), while considering their next step theymade a visit to a cheese shop in Norwich - and it sparked something in themboth. “Paul said, ‘I think we could do a cheese shop’,” says Jacky. “And I said, ‘yes, let’s do that’.” It took a year to find the right premises (and their feet). “I thought we could just LOCATION: CAMBRIDGE FOUNDED: 1994 FOUNDER: JACKY AND PAUL SUTTON-ADAM The Cambridge Cheese Company THE KNOWLEDGE SHARERS Understanding cheeses is crucial, says Jacky. “We’re in a Grade II listed building and downstairs is perfect for ageing hard cheeses, while the chiller area is more high humidity for soft cheeses. We keep a keen eye on all of them and understand what they are capable of, how they might change with the weather or seasons, and how to get them to be their best. It’s a bit like being a nurse, saying ‘how are you feeling? Are you a bit dry today?’. We react to those signals early enough to ensure our cheeses are sold at their peak of perfection.” WHAT MAKES A GREAT CHEESEMONGER? EAST ANGLIA