Next generation cheesemakers: The Cheese Bar

I’m excited about all the passionate cheesemakers we work with. The beauty of craftsmanship in what they do keeps us motivated and drives us in our want to champion them to guests in our restaurants.

The UK’s fine cheese sector is evolving through consumer demand; I think the interest in British cheese has never been greater. I think it follows the natural progression of craft beer, artisan bread etc. People like well-made food and drink. We’ve had three or four new cheese shops open in London in the past two years. That to me is a sign of the demand! Cheese is booming… I mean, obviously I’m biased!

Next-generation businesses like mine are a vital link in inspiring a new generation of customers to take an interest in British cheese. I think it’s crucially important that there are businesses pushing things forward and changing the way people eat good cheese!

I’ve found the British cheese industry to be very supportive. As a whole we are all pushing for the same goal: to get more people eating good British cheese. Our relationship with the cheesemakers we work with has always been really incredible. We value the amazing cheeses they spent time making and they respect our work in getting people eating them!

In terms of what the future holds for the sector, we see a lot of potential in opening more Pick and Cheese restaurants. I feel it does such a great job of changing the way people experience and enjoy cheese.

In the wider industry I’m excited to see what new cheesemakers will start producing in the next few years. We’ve had a lot of younger exciting makers coming through in the last couple of years and it’s interesting to see how that evolves. I’d like to see more collaborations and more one-off cheeses being made – in the same way the craft beer sector has been doing for years. I think that will help create more buzz around cheesemakers and the industry.