Speciality Food September 2025

T here’s something sumptuous and incredibly indulgent about melted cheese. The gooey pull of a piece of bread dunked into a boozy fondue. Or the bubbling, burnished surface of Raclette, spooned generously onto a waiting plate of potatoes and cornichons. ‘Hot cheese’ is certainly having a revival at the moment, with multiple retailers telling Speciality Food they’re experiencing strong sales in products like Le Gruyere, Comte, Raclette and Fontina year-round, not just when there’s a chill in the air. Flashed under the grill, or tumbled into a pan over a low heat, melting style cheeses (which tend to hail from the Alpine regions) are, cheesemongers say, becoming easy-to-cook centrepieces for their customers’ dinner parties. These cheeses also, they add, bring with them a sense of nostalgia. A grown-up version of that slice of cheese on toast they might have eaten as a snack after school. “Shoppers are looking beyond familiar blocks and Cheddars,” says Amanda Burningham, head of cheese marketing at Emmi UK. “They’re seeking out cheeses with provenance, character and culinary flair. The UK’s continental cheese market has reached an all-time high of nearly £1 billion as consumers become more adventurous and open to exploring European traditions like Alpine cheesemaking.” Jen Grimstone-Jones, founder of The Pangbourne Cheese Shop in Berkshire, says lots of her customers ask for melting cheeses. “Raclette is a great seller for us all year round!” Melting cheese “evokes childhood memories for many people,” she adds. “And Raclette and fondue are seen as a more sophisticated dining option. They are also fantastic dishes to share with friends, and we are seeing a huge rise in people across all ages and backgrounds staying at home to socialise.” Marcello Basini, director of Jumi Cheese, thinks it’s taste and versatility that attract customers to cooking cheeses. “They’re convenient and easy to use as well. You don’t really need any special tools, and you can get so much flavour frommelting cheese. We specialise in Raclette. It’s something customers can prepare at the table without having to worry too much about cooking and preparation beforehand.” DISPLAYING COOKING CHEESES Go big with your displays if you can, says Marcello. “Wherever possible, it’s very beautiful to have the wheels out at the front of the shop.” That to introduce customers to more than the plain, natural version, which is just the tip of the iceberg in this category. “For us, truffle Raclette sells well and is absolutely smashing,” says Marcello. “We have actual truffle pieces in it, not just oil or flavourings and chilli or smoked Raclette are also very very popular.” IS IT WORTH SELLING/HIRING SPECIALIST EQUIPMENT? If shelf and storage space allow, it is worth investing in Raclette machines and fondue sets to hire or sell, Marcello and Jen agree. “We have a Raclette machine that holds a quarter of a Raclette that we lend out to customers without charge as long as they buy the cheese from us,” Jen reveals. “It is really popular for parties. We also offer to slice Raclette into thin strips if people have the tabletop grills at home, and we find our French customers often want some Morbier PDO sliced up as well.” Jumi sells and hires out Raclette sets. “I think it works really well,” says Marcello. “We get a lot of traction with hiring them. We simply charge a deposit and when people bring it back we return the deposit.” More customers are seeking out this option, having tried Raclette at festivals and food markets. “A few years ago, not many people knew Raclette,” Marcello continues. “It was a novelty. But now people can’t wait to use the machines at home.” IN STORE TEMPTATIONS If you curate cheese events or have a wine bar/cafe area within your shop, it’s well worth hosting a Raclette or fondue night as a way to introduce more customers to Alpine cooking cheeses – especially if they’re a bit shy about sampling them cold at the counter. Jumi’s Newington Green store hosts a Raclette event every Friday from October to May, frequently selling out tables, says Marcello. “It’s a sociable thing to do, and we see lots of friends and couples coming in. They have a machine in the middle of the table, we can talk them through the different types of Raclette – we usually have six flavours available. We find lots of people come to try that and then want to replicate it at home because it’s so simple.” doesn’t mean whole wheels if space is restrictive, but even a half or quarter of Gruyere or Comte taking pride of place can create excitement for customers, who’ve perhaps only ever seen these varieties sliced into 200g portions and wrapped in plastic in supermarkets. Amanda recommends displaying additional signage around these cheeses, letting customers know where they’re from and the myriad ways they can be used. Print off fondue recipe cards, for example, and perch them nearby. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to cross- sell too, positioning crusty bread, charcuterie and pickles close to classic melting and cooking cheeses. If time and space allow, demonstrate the beauty of cooking 48 COUNTERPOINT SPONSORED BY Cooking cheeses are convenient and easy to use. You don’t really need any special tools, and you can get somuch flavour from them clout, or to spend time with new customers talking to them about the origins of these cheeses, how to use them, and all the beautiful nuances they can expect to come through when they introduce a bit of heat. WHAT TO STOCK As we’ve already mentioned, Gruyere, Comte, Emmental, Fontina and Taleggio are all must-stocks for retailers wanting to tap into the ‘moment’ cooked cheese is having. Jen says she also stocks Reblochon PDO all year, as it’s proving popular with customers, and she points them too, towards British Alpine styles like Lincolnshire Poacher. “And Tunworth can make a fondue ultra creamy!” With interest in Raclette now soaring, now could also be the time cheeses. Have a bubbling pot of fondue ready for the lunchtime rush, or get a Raclette on the go. A QUESTION OF TASTE While many Alpine cheeses already form part of customers’ baskets (such as Gruyere) others like Raclette and Taleggio can prove a harder sell unless shoppers have specifically visited your shop to buy them. How, then, do you entice would-be Raclette lovers to give the cheese a go? There’s no real way, Marcello says, to sample Raclette as a cooking cheese at the counter as its texture and flavours are radically different when it’s cold. It’s down to the cheesemonger to either, as above, offer nibbles made with melted cheese to show off their Melting and cooking cheeses have gained appeal outside of the cooler months of the year. Speciality Food finds out more HOWTOSERVE ANDSELL COOKING CHEESES