A few decades ago, even the most skilled clairvoyant couldn’t have foretold the extent of our country’s artisan cheese revival. Cheese was previously something basic and ubiquitous, usually a slab of cheddar and rarely anything more exciting than a plastic-wrapped supermarket stilton or a tube of Primula. Yet, today, any town or city with foodie aspirations has a quality cheesemonger stocking a wide range of unusual British produce. “Cheese tourism” is on the rise, with some people happily travelling across the country just to get their hands on the top blocks.
These are the shops worth incorporating into your weekends away — and the nearby hotels to stay at, all with in-room fridges so you can keep your treasure chilled.
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1. Courtyard Dairy, Settle, North Yorkshire
Bucolic cheese adventures await at the Courtyard Dairy in the Yorkshire Dales, near the market town of Settle. The shop is a brilliant place to seek out lesser-known cheeses, with most coming from small farms. After a day’s hiking, come here for Cais na Tire, a sweet, Manchego-like sheep’s cheese from Ireland; Leeds Blue, a rich, creamy blue made by a Sardinian who moved to Yorkshire; and Yoredale, an old-school Wensleydale that’s nothing like what you’ll find in the supermarket (thecourtyarddairy.co.uk). The Coniston Hotel Country Estate & Spa is the perfect place to stay, with 1,400 acres of grounds for a picnic so you can tuck in to your finds; ask for a Deluxe or Dales room for a mini fridge to stash them.
Details B&B doubles from £146; theconistonhotel.com
2. Cartmel Cheeses, Cumbria
The picture-postcard village of Cartmel is a food lover’s paradise. It’s the home of sticky toffee pudding and to Simon Rogan, one of Britain’s most celebrated chefs, whose Michelin-starred empire, including his flagship three-star restaurant, L’Enclume, is centred here. Cartmel Cheeses supplies his restaurants, and you can pop into the diminutive shop for a taste of the finest local cheeses, a strong national contingent and some of Europe’s greatest, including a sweet, nutty 36-month aged Comté. Also try St James, a funky washed rind sheep’s cheese made nearby by Martin Gott (cartmelcheeses.co.uk). Later, head for a wander around Windermere, a half-hour’s drive north, then return to stay at one of Rogan’s many chic rooms dotted around Cartmel village, where packages including dinner at L’Enclume are available.
Details B&B doubles from £270; lenclume.co.uk
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3. Rennet & Rind, Stamford, Lincolnshire
Perry James Wakeman may be one of the country’s most enthusiastic young cheesemongers — and one of the best, having been named affineur of the year twice by the non-profit Academy of Cheese, which promotes and conducts cheese education. He’s the chief of cheese at Rennet & Rind, where you’ll find an impressive range of British cheese, including one of the shop’s own, The Duke, which is a complex, creamy, sweet and salty blue that has won “super gold” at the World Cheese awards (rennetandrind.co.uk). After you’ve sourced your goodies, you’ll want to visit nearby Burghley House, which has an extensive art collection and parkland designed by Capability Brown. It’s just five-minute drive from the George Hotel of Stamford and has a garden that’s perfect for summer picnics.
Details Room only doubles from £150 (georgehotelofstamford.com)
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4. George Mewes Cheese, Glasgow
There are two branches of this treasure trove of a cheese shop, one in Edinburgh, one in Glasgow. The latter is the original and it is a short stroll from the vast Hunterian museum complex — filled with everything from mummies to Mackintosh. So after perusing the museum’s cultural wonders, head there for some of Europe’s finest cheese, including those sourced from Hervé Mons, one of France’s best affineurs. Try French favourites such as Beaufort, Roquefort, a wonderful raw milk raclette cheese and the beautifully chalky goat’s cheese Selles-sur-Cher. Of course it would be rude not to sample Scotland’s own bounty: creamy Isle of Mull cheddar, buttery Lanark Blue, and arguably the country’s best cheese, the nutty Corra Linn (georgemewescheese.co.uk). Afterwards, hunker down for the night at the Kimpton Blythswood Square hotel, in a row of grand Georgian townhouses.
Details Room-only doubles from £197 (kimptonblythswoodsquare.com)
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5. Ty Caws, Cardiff
Ty Caws (which is Welsh for house of cheese), operates at farmers’ markets across the city, but its permanent shop near Cardiff Castle — well worth a visit in itself — is a special place. Crammed with many of Britain’s best cheeses, and some foreign classics, Ty Caws is the place to try Welsh Trefaldwyn Blue, an award-winning orange-hued, highly savoury blue, and the delightful Hafod, one of the country’s best cheddars, and Crwys, based on traditional farmhouse cheeses, not dissimilar to Caerphilly, and made by the Ty Caws team (tycaws.com; closed Mondays and Tuesdays). A stone’s throw away, the former head post office and adjoining county court have been converted into the chic Parkgate Hotel, with smart rooms and a rooftop spa.
Details Room-only doubles from £119 (theparkgatehotel.wales)
6. Chorlton Cheesemongers, Manchester
Chorlton Cheesemongers launched in lockdown and has become a Manchester stalwart, a must-visit on any food lover’s itinerary to a city rapidly becoming a gastronomic force. There are a few global favourites — Comté, feta — but, like most shops on this list, British and Irish cheeses are the primary focus. Try something local and you won’t be disappointed. That could be Appleby’s Cheshire or Mrs Kirkham’s Lancashire, which is sold at different stages of maturation (chorltoncheesemongers.co.uk; closed Sundays and Mondays). Head back into the city centre for its buzzy bars and restaurants, such as the brilliant Erst, where ordering the ex-dairy ribeye steak would be appropriate (sharing plates from £6; erst-mcr.co.uk) and stay at the Gary Neville-owned Stock Exchange Hotel to be close to the action.
Details Room-only from £162 (stockexchangehotel.co.uk)
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7. Neal’s Yard Dairy, Borough Market, London
London is blessed with stellar cheesemongers, but the holy grail is Neal’s Yard Dairy. It maintains a site near Neal’s Yard in Covent Garden, where the shop was founded in 1979, but the most enticing branch is beside Borough Market, bringing the added benefit of being close to the market’s myriad cheese stalls. Neal’s Yard focuses on British and Irish cheeses and has a huge range, with six excellent cheddars. Try Stichelton, a raw-milk version of stilton created with the help of the founder, Randolph Hodgson (nealsyarddairy.co.uk). Nearby, the London Bridge Hotel is handy to stumble to after a day’s munching at the market, walking along the Thames to the Globe Theatre and Tate Modern and enjoying Bermondsey’s many great restaurants and bars.
Details Room-only doubles from £149 (londonbridgehotel.com)
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Have we missed your favourite cheese shop? Let us know in the comments below
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