Inspirational Cheese Retailers 2024: Jarrolds

With a history spanning over 250 years – with 200 situated in Norwich – Jarrolds is an icon of the Norfolk retail scene. While the store houses a range of departments including fashion, home and lifestyle, its food offering is made it a true destination for local and visiting food lovers. 

“In 2022 we took on a large project to develop our food hall, located on our Lower Ground Floor,” begins Stephanie Crowe, marketing manager. As well as showcasing an eclectic range of food and drink from the local area and beyond – including a stand-out Italian ambient selection – the site boasts a specially equipped Cheese Room. 

“The Cheese Room is dedicated to artisanal, handmade cheeses,” continues Stephanie, “and features an aged-to-perfection array of local as well as further afield cheeses.” To guide cheese lovers on their quest to find the perfect cheese for any occasion, “knowledgeable experts are always on-hand to offer advice and tips for the perfect cheeseboard.”

It’s with good reason that Jarrolds has become a go-to for cheese aficionados as well as those seeking out great food and drink from across the board. Indeed, within the Food Hall itself are a number of places to eat and drink including two wine bars, a coffee bar and The Exchange: a 40-seat restaurant offering a menu of pizza, pasta and salads alongside an “extensive” wine list. 

Customer service is the name of the game at Jarrolds, and The Cheese Room is custom-built to delight customers – to turn the shopping experience into an event in itself. “A customer comes in looking for a treat for a Friday night or something to wow their dinner party guests, for example, and they can talk to our cheese connoisseurs and come away having had a wonderful bespoke experience which only adds to the enjoyment of the items,” explains Stephanie.

Despite its impressive heritage, innovation and customer experience is the name of the game at Jarrolds. “Our dedication to stay relevant and innovate based on the customer today on the future [is key],” says Stephanie. “We understand the importance of experience – be that through our services, restaurants or colleagues who seek to ensure that everyone who visits Jarrolds has the best possible time.”

The Jarrolds customer is a discerning shopper who respects the business’s family values, says Stephanie – and the business is only to happy to pull out the red carpet. “Our customers are a wonderfully diverse mix of people who have an appreciation for quality and a love of Norfolk, and take pleasure in the experience of shopping.” Communication between the team and the customers they serve is important. “We take the time to listen to our customers and what they want from Jarrolds. The values of our colleagues are the same across the store; doing the right thing in style while also seeking out opportunities to really wow and delight our customers. Jarrolds is a family business at its heart and we understand the importance of family in all we do for our customers.”

It may be a large-scale local retail icon, but Jarrolds was not immune from the shock of Covid-19. “It was a challenge but we saw it as that, and questioned: What can we do better for the people of Norfolk? How can we come out stronger? How do we make sure our customers are comfortable? What can we do unlike anyone else? This has led to some exciting changes over the past few years and hopefully more in the future.”

Read about all of our Inspirational Cheese Retailers by downloading the supplement.