Speciality Food September 2025

as they can eat while they visit. It’s hard to give an extensive description and endless samples when the shop is packed, so allowing customers to learn what they love in advance is helpful for them and us, and ensures they head home with the cheeseboard of their dreams for Christmas Day.” Most of The Cheese Shop Nantwich’s events halt ahead of Christmas, though they do have some tricks up their sleeves, Nick says, including Christmas cheese and wine pairings in November and early December. “We get lots of sales from those. We’ll have guest cheesemakers in every weekend in November and December, showcasing their cheeses, so people can sample them and get their orders in. The we need the room to start making up those hampers!” ● Keep that Christmas queue happy On the whole, cheese lovers are quite content to queue for an hour or two to collect their annual haul – some even consider it a kind of urban sport, laughs Steve, regaling others with how long they’ve committed themselves to this very British pastime. Handing out samples is imperative to keep spirits high. “I was lucky to have a big shop, so the queue would be inside, andmy role was to make sure I spoke to every customer,” Steve says. “We’d hand out cheese samples, to 24th of December. I used to publish my rota in September so staff knew what they were doing.” Plan for additional staff between Christmas and NewYear as well – when a lot of restocking will need to be done. Nick invests in a band of merry ‘Christmas elves’ to help operations run smoothly in December. “We’ve got a good team of existing counter staff who all know they’re going to be busy the week before Christmas,” he explains, “then we have a specialist Christmas teamworking upstairs, wrapping all the hampers. Wrapping takes forever and having those three ladies come inmakes all the difference.” ● Give customers a taste of Christmas Youmight start holding back on regular tasting events as the cooler months roll in, but don’t give up on special events or tastings completely, our experts say. They can help you fill orders much earlier in advance. “It’s of colossal importance to open orders early,” says Camilla. “This helps us manage our staff levels, ensure we have enough stock, and gives customers the confidence that we are prepared, organised and will get them exactly what they need, when they need it!” She continues. “We take so much joy in talking about our products to customers and allowing them to try as much specialityfoodmagazine.com 31 CHRISTMAS 2025 FESTIVE UPSELLS Nick recommends stocking up on truffled honey, which is “huge” for his customers, as are the custom cheeseboards he has made for the shop. “People rather like them. We have our known cheese knife sets too, which sell well. I also like to have a good range of wines, sherries and Port at this time of year, and we do a Port tasting in November which helps fill up the order books.” Chutneys and preserves from Galloway Lodge in Scotland and Cumbria’s Wild & Fruitful strike a chord with the shop’s customers, who love their own-branded Nantwich Chutney. Don’t overdo it with anything that explicitly labels itself as ‘Christmas’ or ‘festive’, though, Nick adds. “Nobody wants Christmas chutney in January. Last year I had one jar of chutney and one jar of figgy pudding jam left. I’d got it just about right.” It’s often better, he thinks, to up your stocks of fig jams, membrillo and fruit jellies, which will sell throughout the year and have a long shelf life. Camilla says in Cambridge they get through jar after jar of cherry puree, which customers adore pairing with soft goats’ or ewe’s milk cheeses. “It’s now one of our bestselling items. We’re also big fans of balsamic jelly, which offers something a little more zingy and interesting than your standard jelly.” She agrees with Nick that honey is a must. “They’re a brilliant match for cheese, helping to bring out herbaceous notes as well as balancing acidity or salinity, so they make for a versatile and delicious pairing.” Steve says everyone wants pickled walnuts in December, so be sure to have a few (but not too many) jars ready. “Other than that, it’s all about luxury. Selling your luxury chutneys and luxury crackers alongside the everyday ranges. It’s a good time as well to think about gifting. Offer cheese slates, cheese knives, little cheese plates or mice place holders. I’m finding that people are wanting something different when it comes to gifts, and they’re being drawn more to experiences. For example, if you come and see me at Chiswick Cheese Market and pay £45, I’ll give you a tote bag, one of my books and a voucher you can take to any Big Wheel Cheese stall and pick up some cheese, chutney and crackers. That’s an ideal gift. People love it. It’s interactive.” There are some products which sell themselves in the festive fever of Christmas, but they’re still worth giving a little nudge. and open a bottle of something, pouring out little cups, saying sorry for the wait. Offer people a drink and they’ll love you. If you’re lucky, they’ll buy wine too when they get to the counter!” Nick says he and the team ‘queue comb’. As soon as the door opens, they call out to see if anyone’s got a pre-order. If so, they’re brought to the front so they can pay separately and get out, without queuing. “We use a separate cardmachine so we can take payment for everything that’s alreadymade up.” The average queue time at Christmas at The Cheese Shop is around an hour, and Nick has to remind staff to pace service gently, giving the same traditional service they’re known for year-round. After all, for some this will be their sole visit to the shop in the year. “I always say to them, ‘for goodness sake, don’t look out the window because you’ll panic. Concentrate on the person in front of you. Be mindful of time you’re spending with them, but don’t rush them through. You’ve got to create that excitement and level of customer support’.” It’s a fine balance, he admits. “Every customer is different, and