Inspirational Cheese Retailers 2024: Secretts Farm Shop

It takes a lot of hard work, determination and passion to become an independent retail destination, and a whole lot more besides to become a go-to for Michelin-starred chefs amongst other local foodies. “Having opened in 1977 to meet the needs of the local community, it has become an important food hub for Milford and the surrounding villages,” begins Mel, buyer at Secretts. Today, the shop is a must-visit for locals and visitors thanks to being “referred to by Surrey Life Magazine as a Surrey Powerhouse and revered by Michelin Star chef, Steve Drake.”

Key to Secretts’ success has been its humble yet quality-driven approach to being a valuable community resource, as well as a carefully curated selection of more adventurous options. “It’s an inspiring one-stop-shop,” says Mel. “Secretts provides everyday food ingredients such as fresh bread, eggs, meat and cheese, as well as dairy, fresh produce – much grown here on our farm – and gourmet food ingredients.”

No wonder it has a varied yet loyal following. “Our customer base is made up of different demographics. We have customers who have been with us since we opened, new arrivals to the community from London and other larger cities, plus day trippers.” Building relationships with existing customers while attracting new ones, while simultaneously evolving the shop’s offering, has proven to be a recipe for success. “We know our customers really well and meet new-to-the-farm-shop visitors all the time. Plus, we constantly innovate with new products and always respond to customer requests whenever possible,” says Mel.

Evolving the service
Having Surrey’s largest and best-stocked cheese counter – “with a fantastic range of British and imported cheeses”– is worthy of applause, that’s not to say that running it has been stress-free. Of course, Covid-19 impacted the Secretts Farm Shop team as it did many other independents, but by thinking outside the box the team was able to evolve their offering to suit the demands at hand. “During the pandemic we started cutting and wrapping our cheeses to reduce queues and keep customers apart. This was really popular, and we have continued to do this long since the pandemic restrictions ended.”

The future for Secretts’ winning cheese counter looks bright. “Our plans include increasing our range of cheeses and deli foods and making sure our customers love our product ranges,” says Mel. “We are always on the look-out for new cheeses especially if they are made in the South East.”

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