Speciality Food Inspirational Cheese Retailers 2025

34 @specialityfood LOCATION: LONDON FOUNDED: 2009 FOUNDER: MORGAN MCGLYNN CARR Cheeses of Muswell Hill Y oumight recognise Cheeses of Muswell Hill owner Morgan McGlynn Carr. The bubbly cheese aficionado is a regular on C4’s Sunday Brunch, where she shares her resolute passion for pairings with hosts Tim and Simon, andmillions of viewers. When she’s not in front of the camera or working on a cheese-themed book (her last, The Complete Cheese Pairing Cookbook , was a massive hit), Morgan is in her happy place – her tiny (but mighty) shop in London’s Muswell Hill. It is so muchmore than a business to Morgan, who cut her teeth working at the cheesemongers as a teenager, having dreamt of being a shopkeeper since she was a little girl. Taking on the premises at the tender age of 19, becoming a business owner onlymade her fall more head over heels for the industry. “When I started to meet the cheesemakers and producers, learning the heritage, and their stories, I knewmy big focus would be to never have cheese in the shop from people I hadn’t had interaction or long conversation with, and that’s still true today,” she says. A star is born Being one of the youngest cheesemongers in the UK, Morgan immediately sparked interest when she took on the shop, and within two years found herself and Cheeses of Muswell Hill featuring in an hour-long TV special with Nigel Slater. “That was the start of me really being able to bring somewhat of an old traditional shop into the 21st Century, getting people more interested in artisan cheese.” It was an awards ceremony that clinched her (so far) decade-long relationship with C4. “We were up for Best Shop inMuswell Hill. Me and the girls had gone along very very excited. We were there with our favourite shops - real institutions - and went and won it. We dined out on that free Champagne, running around with our award in the toilets. “Then someone came in and said, ‘come out girls’, and the Mayor of London announced the Best Shop in London. We won it –and the first thing I did was drop the award! We had an interview on TV, and by this point I was very tipsy. The next day they (C4) were like, ‘come on Sunday Brunch’.” And the rest is history. “They’re verymuch like family now. I just love them.” THE FLAVOUR SEEKER BEST-SELLING CHEESES MONTGOMERY CHEDDAR A traditional, earthy, savoury, deliciousWest Country Farmhouse Cheddar, revered for its depth of flavour. montgomerycheese. co.uk ROSEMARY MANCHEGO A contemporary twist on amuch-loved classic Spanish cheese. Fabulous with a glass of wine. vegasotuelamos. com BRIE DEMEAUX DONGÉ Irresistible. Regarded as one of the finest French cheeses, with notes of mushroom. intervalexport.com LONDON & SOUTH