Speciality Food Inspirational Cheese Retailers 2025

Revisited 48 @specialityfood It’s five years since cheese lover Moz Murphy opened grate Newcastle – and her passion for and dedication to artisan cheese has never wavered during this time. Moz founded the business (bravely during the lockdown years) having noticed a gap in the market for a shop combining great cheese and great service, and says it’s the store she’s always dreamed of having. Though she’s been gently prodded by visitors to add to her range with charcuterie and other bits and bobs, Moz says championing British, Irish and Continental cheeses remains her priority. grateNewcastle Of course, grate stocks everything shoppers need to pull together a stunning cheeseboard (including locally made preserves, breads and crackers), but they are the shop’s ‘garnishes’ or ‘side dishes’, not the main course. “Ultimately my background is in cheese,” Moz explains, “and that’s my passion.” The last 12 months have, she says, seen business slow a little – picking up, as expected, at Christmas - so there are plans on the horizon for more in-house events, wholesaling and collaborations to keep footfall up. And sales have been bolstered by grate Newcastle being named a runner-up in the Small Business Saturday People’s Choice Awards last winter, something Moz says was huge for her. What clinched the recognition, she thinks, was her being truly interested in what she’s selling. This is something she says is vital for indie cheesemongers, calling it a ‘given’. “But you’ve also got to be interested in what your customers are actually buying, not just your favourites.” Keeping on top of the latest cheese news is a must as well, “especially when your customers are foodies who read the same publications as you!” Moz has seen grate’s fanbase and demographic grow across ages, and reveals the business is very family orientated. It’s more than a shop – it’s a community. And this is why she also dedicates time to giving back. Her charitable endeavours have included teaming up with a local restaurant to deliver free meals to hundreds of children in 2023 when the Government cut funding for lunch provisions during school holidays, and raising money for Maggie’s centre at the Freeman Hospital, and the Rainbow Trust. “We’ve built a great little community feel in our shop, and it’s lovely to be a part of.” In the last year, Moz has been lovingWakebridge fromWakebridge Manor Creamery. “I can’t wait to get it back in stock later this year.” She’s a huge fan of sheep’s cheese, and says she loved having King Stone Dairy’s Hidcote in stock this spring. “I also rediscovered some cheeses that we’d not stocked for a while, including Perl Las and Monte Enebro.” MOZ’S FAVOURITE CHEESES THIS YEAR WE’VE BUILT A GREAT LITTLE COMMUNITY FEEL IN OUR SHOP, AND IT’S LOVELY TO BE A PART OF