7 of the best cheesemongers in Scotland

From villages tucked in rugged landscapes to vibrant cities, Scotland is home to a thriving food culture. And the national pride in its homegrown fare is well deserved, with fantastic local makers offering a wide range of delights.

Stocking these local gems, as well as the best picks from further afield in Britain and the Continent, are Scotland’s top cheesemongers. Speciality Food has rounded up seven brilliant cheese shops from across the country that are worth a journey to experience.

The Cheese Lady, Haddington and North Berwick

When Svetlana Kukharchuk was conjuring a name for her first shop, it was a no-brainer. Locals had called her The Cheese Lady for a long time, thanks to her extensive knowledge about everything dairy. 

Today running two shops, in Haddington and North Berwick, Svetlana adores spreading her love for not only Scottish and British cheeses, but for must-have Continental varieties, which she believes are the backbone of any great cheese counter. 

Sveltana has a keen eye and great taste, bringing in top quality varieties (that you definitely won’t find in a local supermarket), from makers in Spain, France, Italy and beyond. Alongside Scottish Minger, and English Stichelton, you’ll discover delights from 20-month aged Comte Reserve, to silky, punchy, boozy Basajo. 

The team across both stores share Svetlana’s appreciation of great cheese, taking enormous care in the handling, cutting and wrapping of each piece – taking on board her feeling that parcels of cheese should almost be like little gifts. 

A pantry of lovely things to serve alongside cheese is available both online and in store (one of her favourites is the Scottish made Melina Honey Wine), and initiatives such as ‘cheese of the month’, guest and seasonal cheeses, a cheese club and regular cheese events keep customers returning over and over again. 

Mainstreet Trading, St Boswells

Rosamund and Bill de la Hey have created a real destination on the Scottish Borders. Somewhere considered a ‘treat’ and a ‘real experience’. Opening in a former auction house selling books and coffee, they expanded to incorporate a deli and homeware/gifts in 2012, housed in a barn behind the main shop. 

Bill describes it as an “amazing site in the middle of nowhere”. Visitors stop in for coffee and a new read, but could leave with fresh bread, preserves, chocolates, and a bag packed to the rafters with well-kept cheese, largely from British makers. 

Bill has an affinity for Britain’s cheese crafters, having spent his childhood watching what goes on behind the scenes at his grandmother’s dairy farm in Somerset – tasting all the cheeses at the Bath & West Show. 

Having his own cheese counter is a dream, and it was important to Bill to support makers from the area where he grew up, like Montgomery’s Cheddar, while making connections with those based in Scotland and the North of England too. 

Initiatives like the No 1 Cheese of the Moment, keep customers returning to refresh their cheeseboards. 

George Mewes Cheese, Glasgow/Edinburgh

A chef for nearly three decades, there’s nothing George Mewes loves more than talking food (but especially cheese) with customers. 

His adoration of artisan cheeses led George to open his first shop in Glasgow in 2010. Buoyed by its success, he took the opportunity to launch another outlet in Edinburgh’s leafy Stockbridge,  working with Lucid Architecture to mimic cave-like conditions – the shop featuring 1ft thick concrete floors, and slate and spruce shelving.

Both shops pile cheese high, putting it front and centre of the buying experience for customers, who are spoiled for choice – with everything having been personally selected from choice cheesemakers in Britain and Europe, including excellent cheeses from top French affineur Herve Mons (George Mewes is their main stockist in Scotland).

You can be sure every slice or slab you buy has been treated with love. And there are plenty of goodies to go alongside your cheesy purchase too, from crackers and chutneys, to cheeseboards and other accessories – everything you need to host the ultimate cheese night in.

IJ Mellis, Edinburgh, Glasgow and London

Originally started by Iain Mellis in 1993 following many years spent in the cheese industry, Edinburgh’s IJ Mellis has become an iconic cheesemonger – no wonder when the business has such insight at its core. “He opened his first retail store in Edinburgh’s old town on Victoria Street after locating a damp, small, cave-like premises, ideal for maturing and selling cheese,” explains Iain’s son and now director of IJ Mellis, Rory.  “After two years he opened his next store in the west end of Glasgow and was joined by my mum, Karen. Mum’s background was in nursing, and when she joined my dad in the business, she brought with her a warm and personal touch which is something we encompass in our customer service style and are well known for,” he continues. 

This valuable combination of expertise and great customer service is something that fine food independents are rightly famed for, and something which the IJ Mellis team offers in droves. Rory joined the business in 2018 to develop the wholesale and e-commerce arms, as well as planning and opening The Cheese Lounge – a cheese and wine bar located at the back of the Morningside store – and today IJ Mellis has six retail stores in its arsenal – most recently opening its first outlet outside of Scotland in London’s Crouch End.

The Mellis family’s in-depth experience of cheese maturation has stood the business in very good stead. “With Dad’s background in dairy science, we certainly have the edge on other retailers to take cheeses further and keep them stored at the best possible condition at our maturing rooms in Leith before making their way to our loyal customers,” explains Rory. “But above all else, I believe that as we are a family-owned and operated business, our passion for cheese and genuine care for our customers is evident in all that we do. Whether it’s our cheesemongers talking through different cheeseboard options and offering tasters in our stores, to our warehouse assistants who carefully cut, wrap and deliver all over the UK, each person does their bit to make sure we are providing the best.”

House of Bruar, Blair Atholl

Quality service and exceptional teamwork are the cornerstones of a well-run fine food business, and this is especially apparent at House of Bruar – one of Scotland’s most renowned shopping destinations. The fact that House of Bruar is a family business – it was established by husband and wife Mark and Linda Birkbeck in 1993 – plays a large role in the team’s decision to work directly with 90% of its food hall suppliers. 

The deli team work closely together to share knowledge and ensure impeccable service, championing Scottish cheeses such as Connage, Anster and Morangie Brie, alongside other British and European classics.

Must Be Crackers, Dunfermline

Must Be Crackers founder, Aileen Wright, fizzes with excitement as she talks about her absolute adoration of cheese, retail, and her “wonderful customers”. 

In only two years, the cheesemonger has amassed leagues of adoring fans, drawn to the shop for its constantly changing, interesting selection, and for the truly, truly, genuinely warm welcome and ‘unstuffy’ environment Aileen and her team have created. 

Coming from a large Irish family (spending a lot of time buying lovely things with her dad in a nearby old-fashioned deli) Aileen understands what it means to nourish and nurture people – to make them feel at home in her presence. And it’s this that is central to the success of the business. 

Aileen wanted Must Be Crackers to offer an elevated shopping experience, but at the heart of her plans was that the shop must be accessible to everybody. “It couldn’t be so fancy that it was intimidating,” she says. “Or put off people because they can’t pronounce the names of the cheeses. It can be a scary experience to visit a cheesemonger! Equally, Dunfermline has a wide range of mixed means people. Sometimes they’ll just want to come in and buy a slice of cheese because they live on their own. I didn’t want people to be afraid, if we’ve cut a piece of cheese that’s £10 and they’ve only got £3 in their pocket, to ask for a third of it instead.” 

What sets Must Be Crackers apart, Aileen continues, is the sheer turnaround of cheeses, and the variety. “You won’t find stacks and stacks of Cheddars,” she explains. “We have around 40 to 50 cheeses at any time, and because there’s nothing like us around here and the choice beyond us is a supermarket, we have to offer variety.” 

Over the last two years the shop has rotated around 200 cheeses. “And for Dunfermline to have had access to that many types is amazing. People love the choice, and we always have customers coming in asking what’s new. They rely on us to not stand still and I’m constantly on the hunt for something different and interesting. I go down lots of rabbit holes to find new things.” 

The Cheesery, Dundee

For a couple with a history of street food, The Cheesery offered the ideal opportunity to set down roots and indulge in one of their biggest passions: cheese. Sold to Hilary and Steve Barney by the previous owner, Dorothy Hegarty, in May 2016, the business has clearly reaped the rewards from the pair doing thorough research, travelling to Scotland to conduct a cheese trail, and connecting with dairies before opening.

Offering a solid range of independent retail’s most loved attributes – working with local producers, stocking a wide range of cheeses (“a selection of around 65 in each shop”), offering familiar favourites alongside adventurous options, and a knowledgeable, friendly and approachable team hosting a large number of regulars is reaping rewards. 

“It’s brilliant serving regulars who know what their favourites are and that’s that, and then the other side of the coin is chatting to new customers – making them feel at ease as coming into the shop seeing all of that cheese in front of them. It’s hard to know where to start and we appreciate it can be overwhelming.” Clock-watching is a no-go at The Cheesery. “We love nothing more than taking the time with them, letting them try different cheese and working with them to create what they are looking for – whether it be a cheeseboard for a night in for two, a few cheeses for a gathering of friends or a gift. Our cheese gift boxes are the best!” 

The Cheesery’s cheese gift subscriptions are one of Hilary and Steve’s proudest achievements. “They have been incredible,” says Hilary. “We deliver a box made up of a selection of carefully chosen cheese, accompaniments and tasting notes. It makes the perfect gift, but also a lovely thing to sign up to if you want to branch out with your cheese choices. With the first box, you receive a cheese journal where you can jot down the cheese you like, rate it, note what you had it with and we have designed a taste wheel too. This is useful for not only cheese customers may have at The Cheesery, but all over the world. It’s so great when our customers come into the shop after travelling with tales of the cheese they have tried. Every day we are learning.”