How Harrods made its cheese counter iconic

There is no comparing Harrods’ cheese experience to any other in the market, as the display is second to none, particularly in London. The lighting and storage fridges provide an incredibly unique perspective that other retailers do not have, and our customers are encouraged to taste a vast array of cows’, goats’, ewes’, pasteurised and raw milk cheeses, alongside daily tasting events to celebrate a range of exciting new produce. The remarkable and passionate service from our staff comes with their depth of knowledge and expertise on artisan cheeses from all over the world, as well as their ability to carefully curate a cheeseboard tailored for any occasion.

As industry leaders we strive to always have exceptional and distinctive products with a point of difference, more developed flavour and incredible heritage. Our specialist team of buyers frequently visit a collection of producers’ cellars and select the cheese wheels for Harrods, ensuring each one exudes the finest quality and flavour profile. The cheeses picked are matured in limited quantities and only released once per year, for example a 36-month matured Comté from Fort St Antoine, matured by Marcel Petite, is an exceptionally rare delicacy and specifically released in June each year. You never know how many wheels there are going to be, but you can always be sure to find some in Harrods’ food halls when it has been released.

Aside from hosting an exclusive and special offering, we strive to have a wide range of seasonal specialities and goats’ cheeses on offer. We believe it’s important to push the boundaries and challenge our customers in order to develop. For example, last Christmas we debuted an exclusive Gorgonzola Dolce combined with fresh black truffle shavings which was a huge success. At the same time, we also launched a truffle Feta cheese which was not as successful, however it was a chance to give our customers an option, challenge their taste buds and develop their palate for unique cheeses.

Today we recognise that more and more of Harrods customers are turning to veganism, and because of this Harrods now offers a variety of vegan cheeses – which is an area we would like to evolve and elevate throughout 2020. Each year we aim to work closely with more producers, providing our customers with access to the best age profiles, most unique flavours and most incredible creation within the cheese industry, all of which allows the Harrods offering to grow.

Image: Harrods