Nominate your winners for Inspirational Cheese Retailers 2023

Speciality Food is searching for independent cheesemongers to feature in the third edition of Inspirational Cheese Retailers, and readers are invited to share their nominations.

When we put together our last instalment, the government had just announced its ‘living with Covid’ strategy and independent retailers had to adjust to the ‘new normal’ after two years of restrictions that challenged the entire sector.

As a result, the 2022 edition of Inspirational Cheese Retailers featured profiles of some of the UK’s most exciting and successful cheese shops that evolved throughout the Covid-19 pandemic and Brexit, as chosen by professionals and cheese-loving consumers across Great Britain. 

15 cheese retailers were hand-picked from dozens of nominations, each one chosen for outstanding performance in a particular niche, such as ‘Community Spirit’, ‘Positivity Champion’, ‘Artisan Expert’ and ‘Traditional Icon’. 

Claiming the title of Positivity Champion, Lucie O’Meara, owner of The Cheese Society, told Speciality Food, “We have a lovely relationship with our customers and cheesemakers, and one of our main points of focus is to make each day at the cheese society as enjoyable as we can. We don’t take ourselves too seriously, but we take our cheese very seriously indeed!”

Even for our winners whose focus isn’t completely on cheese, a well-selected cheese counter is what fine food retail is all about. 

As Mike Routley, buyer and development manager at Chatsworth Farm Shop, which was named Supplier Champion, explained, “We believe that the counter offer and the customer service, where we are able to engage with customers and tell them about the cheese, make other suggestions and promote the values of local and artisan cheesemaking, are our core strengths.”

“The cheese counter is at the heart of the shop, and we pride ourselves on providing an extensive range and variety of cheeses to suit all tastes and budgets”, added Simon Jones, owner of Cheese for All winner, Forest Deli (pictured). 

It is passion like this that makes the speciality food sector such a rewarding environment, and we want to reward retailers championing these values.

This year, we will be showcasing a new batch of worthy winners who are champions of their local region and the very best cheese from around the world; and we want you to have your say!

If you know an independent who deserves to be named as one of 2023’s Inspirational Cheese Retailers, click here to fill out the simple form and nominate your winners, it only takes a minute.

Once you’ve sent in your nomination, why not download a free copy of Inspirational Cheese Retailers 2022 here? Simply filter the issues to 2022 and scroll down to our industry specials to get inspired!