Speciality Food Inspirational Cheese Retailers 2025

42 @specialityfood The Hamish Johnston name has long been considered a ‘big cheese’ in fine food retail. Founded byWill Johnston in Battersea in the late 90s, a wholesale arm (based in Suffolk) was added in 2001, withWill joined by business partner Mark Newman. Today, they supply more than 350 businesses, from pubs and bars, to restaurants, cafes, farm shops and even other delis, with the cream of the crop fromBritain and Europe’s dairies. That’s all while continuing to run their own shop, now on London’s Northcote Road. “It’s been a good 12 months despite being buffeted by supplier price rises,” says retail and technical manager, Jamie Collins, who adds that, in line with their long-termplans, they’ve continued to bolster their offering by upping the ante when it comes to in-house cheese and wine tastings. “And we’ve been deploying resident cheese guru, Prentice, to lead tastings at wholesale customer events.” For Jamie, what makes a good cheese retailer great is “range, quality, knowledgeable staff, and the friendly service you get in an indie”. All things that, with 30 years in the business, Hamish Johnston can offer The current favourite, says Jamie, is Smoked Montgomery Cheddar. “We get this classic farmhouse Cheddar lightly smoked by our friends at London Smoke & Cure. It is ruddy delicious!” OUR FAVOURITE CHEESE Revisited Hamish Johnston IT’S BEEN A GOOD 12 MONTHS DESPITE BEING BUFFETED BY SUPPLIER PRICE RISES in spades. The shop, like its wholesale operation, has a large and loyal following of customers who covet the endless expertise the team share. Shoppers know they are the go-to people for anything cheese-related, fromfinding something new to put on the table, to caring for their purchases, and pairing suggestions. The fact that several members of staff live near the shop very much gives it a community feel, built on by swathes of locals who visit regularly – many of themFrench expats who appreciate the attention to detail and care the Hamish Johnston team lavish upon their collection of fromages. They also appreciate the ways the team think outside of the box, such as offering free loan of a Raclettemachine with every purchase of a quarter of the cheese. It’s these thoughtful touches that truly matter, Jamie thinks.