Speciality Food Inspirational Cheese Retailers 2025

YOUHAVE TOBRING THE CUSTOMER INTO YOURWORLDANDALLOWYOURSELF TO BEAPART OF THEIRWORLD they’ll just want to come in and buy a slice of cheese because they live on their own. I didn’t want people to be afraid, if we’ve cut a piece of cheese that’s £10 and they’ve only got £3 in their pocket, to ask for a third of it instead.” It’s Aileen’s ultimate goal, she says, to share the wonderful world of cheese with as many people as possible. “I do like to say I sell joy for a living.” A tide of change What sets Must Be Crackers apart, Aileen continues, is the sheer turnaround of cheeses, and the variety. “You won’t find stacks and stacks of Cheddars,” she explains. “We have around 40 to 50 cheeses at any time, and because there’s nothing like us around here and the choice beyond us is a supermarket, we have to offer variety.” She starts by sourcing from Scotland, then the rest of Britain, Ireland and beyond. “The cheeses fromBritain and Ireland never cease to amaze me,” Aileen BEST-SELLING CHEESES ALP BLOSSOM This is a real customer favourite. A supple Alpine cheese, covered in attractive dried flowers. hofkaeserei-kraus.de STANDREW’S FARMHOUSE CHEDDAR A rich, rounded, punchy, Cheddar-style cheesemade with the farm’s own rawmilk. standrewscheese. co.uk THETRIPLE ROSE Amulti award-winning triple cream cheese fromNorthern Ireland, made usingmilk from a single herd. ballyliskcheese.com CASHEL BLUE Melt-in-the-mouth, rich and savoury. This Irish blue is outstanding and much loved. cashelblue.com says. “But I also have to keep things like Gruyère and Dutch Goudas, which are always popular.” Over the last two years the shop has rotated around 200 cheeses. “And for Dunfermline to have had access to that many types is amazing. People love the choice, and we always have customers coming in asking what’s new. They rely on us to not stand still and I’m constantly on the hunt for something different and interesting. I go down lots of rabbit holes to find new things.” Cherishing customers The vibrant, fun atmosphere at Must Be Crackers is as inspiring for the staff as it is customers, says Aileen. They take pride in being part of people’s buying decisions. “I love entertaining, and when a customer comes in and says to us, ‘I’ve got 10 people coming for dinner, help me out’, it’s fantastic to have those discussions about what they’re cooking, what they like, and what they don’t like, so we can help them get it right. It's like shopping, but you’re not spending your ownmoney,” she laughs. To be a good cheesemonger, she thinks, “you have to bring the customer into your world and allow yourself to be a part of their world”. She continues, “You have to have your door open in every sense of the word.” As well as chatting and being welcoming, that extends to your displays too. “We try to have really good information for people here. We colour code our labels. So, there’s a red dot on rawmilk cheeses and a green dot on everything pasteurised. It means straight away, someone coming in who can only have pasteurised cheeses knows what they can buy. It's a lot less intimidating and helpful.” This thoughtful touch is just one of many ways Aileen and the rest of the team at Must Be Crackers put customers at ease. “It’s so simple, but it makes the world of difference,” she says. specialityfoodmagazine.com 29