Inspirational Cheese Retailers 2024: The Cheese Box

Having enjoyed a childhood where her ex-farming family were fans of quality, locally-produced food, it was perhaps only natural that Dawn Hackett would go on to create a business sharing the joys of artisanal cheeses from her region. Nearly 20 years ago, she set up a mobile British cheese van – The Cheese Box – in South London, which brought traditional regional cheeses to people in her local area. “When I was busy earning money freelancing and raising children, I would take orders from locals and deliver cheeses to their homes. It’s how I learned how personal this food is to people, and how important it is to share stories and passion with them over such a simple but immensely important food. As a specialist retailer this is what can set you apart from others and also create a supportive community around you,” says Dawn.

Seventeen years ago, Dawn moved to Kent’s Whitstable and opened a bricks-and-mortar shop. “It was a big move for me,” says Dawn. “I wanted the customer to feel like we were still outside with the van or on a market, and be welcoming to all.” Partially thanks to this open-minded attitude, The Cheese Box boasts a varied clientele. “We have a diverse customer base as the town has many visitors at certain times, and local weekly footfall can be erratic in most places these days.” 

Education is key to The Cheese Box’s mission. “We focus on being available to all and take great joy in dispensing cheese history and cheesemaking information, and connecting it to the cheeses we sell.” Offering tasters of the cheeses on offer has also proven to be a valuable exercise, as has flexibility. “We open at times accessible to locals wanting to pop in for cheese boxes or platters to take home, so early evenings are great. The option of having a great cheese board and filling the gap around restaurant times, prices etc has worked very well in our area.”

Keeping it unique

By keeping an eye on the status quo of the local businesses and making sure that her offering complements what they do, Dawn has made a smart business move. “I think one has to assess what your area already has to complement your cheese,” she says. “We have found by being by the sea and being lucky enough to have produce shops on our main street, we are able to focus very much on selling cheese and a few locally-made accompaniments. This helps focus the customer very much more on what we are offering and why we are different.”

“I don’t think one rule fits all with a specialist shop,” continues Dawn. It’s been very important for The Cheese Box to stay very focused on its message of selling British cheeses and offering great local Kent and Sussex cheeses.” By offering a range of ways to get this message across, The Cheese Box has flourished. “We have a great following with cheese wedding cakes and we have always used collaboration to keep momentum going with pop ups, cheese tastings, a cheese bar and all the fun things. Our original delivery of The Cheese Box has stood its ground and this is still a great way to have a personal service.”

Sticking to the cheeses that Dawn and the local area have a genuine connection with has been key to the success of the business. “Over the years I’ve worked alongside new and developing cheesemakers who have been creating a diverse range of recipes, and it is mostly these cheeses as the extras to the traditional regional makes that I love to supply to the customers – having aged and got them just right. It is very easy to over diversify and always stock famous cheeses or overstock the counter. We have found and championed cheeses that work for us and we absolutely love.”

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