12 of the best cheesemongers in London and Greater London

There’s something incredibly special about stumbling upon a proper cheese shop. Somewhere with exquisite displays of carefully nurtured varieties from artisan makers, sold by folk who know their dairy, respect it, and truly value sharing the stories and history of what’s in (or often on) their counters.

If you’re travelling in the UK, hoping to seek out local cheeses, or build a cheeseboard on your holiday, Speciality Food has removed the guesswork for you, bringing together the best of the best cheese retailers by region - starting with London and its surrounding towns and cities.

Paxton & Whitfield, London (and Bath and Canterbury)

It’s not for nothing that Paxton & Whitfield is one of the very best-known cheesemongers in the world. Its history is certainly enviable; its origins began in 1742 when Stephen Cullum set up a cheese stall in Aldwych market. As London became increasingly affluent, Sam Cullum (Stephen’s son) moved the cheese business closer to his wealthy customer base, near to Jermyn Street where a Paxton & Whitfield is still located today. Ironically, it is their names, not his, which grace the shop fronts today. Paxton & Whitfield still continues the principles of its founders back in 1797 and pioneers artisan cheese and handmade fine foods to great success .

All independent retailers know that customers and evolution are king, and the generations of staff behind Paxton & Whitfield hold these principles to their hearts. “We have always focused on customer experience and innovation, whilst never losing sight of the fundamentals of sourcing incredible tasting artisan cheese,” says managing director James Rutter. “We were one of the first cheese retailers to sell online, one of the first to offer a cheese subscription and one of the first to supply wedding cheese cakes.” Thankfully, this expertise is now being shared through The Academy of Cheese, which the business was at the forefront of launching and continues to teach today.

Neal’s Yard Dairy, Covent Garden, Barons Court, Bermondsey, Borough Market, Islington 

When you think about the best cheese shops and cheese retailers in the UK, the world even, Neal’s Yard Dairy is absolutely up there as one of the creme de la creme. 

The business, started in Neal’s Yard (Covent Garden) in 1979, today has five outlets across London, including its own maturing rooms at Bermondsey. 

Neal’s Yard is a retailer, wholesaler, expert affineur, and true champion of British farmhouse cheeses, having supported numerous makers on their journeys across nearly five decades and has always been a trailblazer -  its mission statement from the outset being to improve British cheese. 

Founder Randolph Hodgson set out on a quest to educate people about the brilliance of the UK’s specialist cheeses following a decline in the sector post-war, and with mass-produced cheeses becoming the norm in the supermarkets that popped up across Britain. 

The shops aren’t delis with a bit of cheese. From the towering window displays to the overwhelming sight of humungous wheels and slabs front and centre, open on the counter, their selection has real presence. Any other nice bits and pieces to go alongside, like chutneys and crackers, are well chosen, but side acts to the main event. 

Having maturing rooms in the city means Neal’s Yard Dairy can control the look, taste and texture of the cheeses they choose to stock, and they take huge pride and care in the way they nurture every single make. 

From squidgy Baron Bigod, to daffodil yellow Coolea and toothsome, savoury Kirkham’s Lancashire, the shops are a treasure trove for those seeking British cheeses of distinction.

 

Mons Cheesemongers, Borough Market, East Dulwich

Mons Cheesemongers was originally started in France in the 1950s from the back of a van by founder Hubert Mons. After nearly a decade of accruing knowledge about producers and farms, he began sourcing artisanal cheeses from his native region of the Auvergne and sold them at local markets with his wife, Rolande. 

In the 1980s, Hubert and Rolande’s two sons Laurent and Herve joined the family business, with Laurent taking over the shop and Herve overseeing cheese ripening and developing sales in international export. 

The UK iteration of Mons Cheesemongers was launched after a meeting at Slow Food’s cheese festival in Northern Italy, where Herve Mons and Jon Thrupp began working closely together to bring the family’s cheeses across the Channel. Consequently, Mons Cheesemongers opened its first British venture in 2006 at Borough Market. 
Now, with a range heavily focused on raw milk cheeses, the family selects traditionally made Continental and British cheeses and ages them in their cellars in London and on the Cote Roannaise. 

It is their carefully curated maturing room that makes Mons Cheesemongers stand out in the world of cheese retail – after all, there aren’t many cheese retailers who also work as maturers or affineurs, working so closely with farmers and producers.

It is this passion for the journey of farm to fork that gets the team going in the morning. Their modus operandi is to do justice to the Continental and British predominantly raw-milk cheeses they select, mature and sell, creating a warm and unintimidating shopping experience. 

Hamish Johnston, Wandsworth

While Hamish Johnston might well be a familiar name to independent cheese retailers for its wholesale operation, based in Suffolk, the business began at a retail premises in London’s Battersea 30 years ago with Will Johnston at its helm. “It soon established an excellent reputation – both locally and across London – for its broad selection of artisan and farmhouse cheese,” explains Jamie Collins, shop manager. Three decades on, the Hamish Johnston shop continues to thrive, and the wholesale operation currently supplies over 350 businesses.  

Thanks to its longstanding presence in the area, the Hamish Johnston shop has developed a large and loyal following.

While a large proportion of the bricks-and-mortar Hamish Johnston site are local, that’s not to say that they grew up with British cheese on their tables. “Our customer base is mainly made up of local families with an interest in artisan cheeses,” explains Jamie. “Many are French expats whose children go to the French Lycee on the other side of the river in South Kensington.”  

Thinking outside the box has served the team well, especially when it comes to a certain French cheese dish. “One service that we offer which goes down particularly well is the free loan of a Raclette machine when you buy a quarter of Raclette from us.” 

La Fromagerie, Highbury, Marylebone, Bloomsbury 

When founder Patricia Michaelson landed back in London with a wheel of phenomenal Beaufort Chalet d’Alpage she’d discovered on her travels, little did she know how her life would change. 

From selling that wheel in her garden shed, to taking on a market stall, and later opening three shops, she’s become a trusted and respected voice in the cheese industry – and a staunch supporter of traditional, farmhouse, and raw milk cheeses. 

Patricia and her team work tirelessly to championing some of Europe’s finest cheesemakers, ensuring every single one is looked after beautifully, and sold at the very peak of perfection. 

Discerning customers know, when they visit a La Fromagerie store, they’re buying the best of the best, while those new to fine cheeses understand this is a business they can trust to extend their burgeoning knowledge. 

Alongside varieties such as, obviously, Beaufort, Fleur de Maquis, Gratin Blu and Monty’s Cheddar, shoppers will find exquisite accompaniments, including own label wines and preserves, charcuterie, biscuits for cheese, membrillo, fig balls and so much more. 

Visits to Marylebone and Bloomsbury can be extended by taking a seat at one of the in-house eateries, perhaps for a gourmet cheese toastie, twice-baked cheese souffle or melted Raclette Savoyard with a glass of fizz. 

London Cheesemongers, Chelsea

Pavilion Road has long been associated with West London’s foodie scene, and smack-bang in the middle is this small but perfectly formed cheese shop.

In what seems to be a tale as old as time, the business was founded in 2021, when owner Jared bought a huge quantity (200kg) of Le Gruyère AOP to sell, maxing out his credit card. But sell he did, at markets across London, putting every penny he earnt back into his operations. More cheeses followed, and after two years, Jared was able to invest in bricks and mortar – in a prime location, where London Cheesemongers has proved to be a pillar of the cheese-loving community.

Le Gruyère is still very much a part of the shop’s story, joined by other Continental greats such as Langres and Tomme, alongside British heroes Stichelton, Baron Bigod and Kirkham’s Lancashire.

Bayley & Sage, Across London

Since its first site in Wimbledon Village was opened in 1997, Bayley & Sage has grown a sizeable portfolio of delis, long renowned for their focus on great food and exemplary service.

Cheese is always beautifully displayed at the Barley & Sage stores, which prove a visual feast for the eyes from the moment you enter.

The collection of cheeses may not be as vast as some other retailers, but it is well looked after, and imaginatively merchandised, with plenty of visual cues and tips showing how to pair and use many of the varieties available. 

Jumi, Borough Market, Newington Green, Crouch End

Jumi really is a cheese shop like no other. Not only are the cheeses artfully displayed (they catch your eye immediately), but, incredibly, each of the around 80 or so varieties has been made with raw, sileage-free milk within a five-mile radius of Switzerland’s Emmental Valley. 

Jumi doesn’t carry any big brands or heavily commercialised products. All its cheeses are produced for them on micro farms, where herds of 20 to 30 animals are milked once or twice a day. There is complete control over quality. 

Case in point is Jumi’s Belper Knolle – a cow’s milk cheese fashioned into a small tennis ball shape, seasoned with garlic, pepper and Himalayan salt. These are made only in the village of Belp.

The team get so much satisfaction from having that direct connection with makers, and customers are drawn to the fact Jumi’s cheeses are all-natural, with nothing artificial added.

Cheeses of Muswell Hill, Muswell Hill

You might recognise Cheeses of Muswell Hill owner Morgan McGlynn Carr. The bubbly cheese aficionado is a regular on C4’s Sunday Brunch, where she shares her resolute passion for pairings with hosts Tim, Simon, and millions of viewers. 

When she’s not behind the camera or working on a cheese-themed book (her last, The Complete Cheese Pairing Cookbook, was a massive hit), Morgan is in her happy place – her tiny (but mighty) shop in London’s Muswell Hill. 

It is so much more than a business to Morgan, who cut her teeth working at the cheesemongers as a teenager, having dreamt of being a shopkeeper as a little girl - the store has played a starring role throughout her life.  

Taking on the premises at the tender age of 19, becoming a business owner, only made her fall more head over heels for the industry. 

A visit to Cheeses of Muswell Hill is made all the more special thanks to the stunning property that houses all the goodies within. “It’s a really rare shop,” Morgan explains. “It’s an Edwardian building, and the curved glass is probably worth more than my house. Most of the insurance on the shop is because of that glass.” 

At a mere 7m by 2m, it can be described as bijoux, and this, naturally, lends itself to super personal service. “You’d be lucky to get three people in at once,” Morgan laughs. “When you walk in, because of the size, you’re overtaken by cheese in the best possible way. I sometimes say ‘just open the doors’. We don’t need advertising, people follow their nose to us.” 

Around 220 to 250 cheeses find their way into the counter – every other inch taken up by specially chosen biscuits, chutneys and other lovely things to pull together a cheeseboard. 

Morgan’s cheese obsession, and quest for newness, means the fridge changes all the time, bursting with seasonal and speciality varieties, products she’s personally in love with, and even exclusive cheeses made for the shop. “It’s only the best. I say ‘the nicest of the nice’.” 

The split is 50% British and 50% ‘rest of the world’, because Morgan really does scour the cheese universe, feeding her own desire to procure flavours and formats rarely seen in other cheesemongers. There are, of course, the classics from France, Spain and Italy, but on any given day customers might also see cheeses from Norway, Germany and America. 

No 2 Pound Street, Wendover

James and Nicola Grant’s notable shop, just North of London, boasts legions of loyal customers. With a deeply ingrained and inherited love of food, thanks to years working in the hospitality industry, James brings a wealth of expertise to the shop, ensuring everyone leaves with cheeses he knows they will adore, and with pairings that will set their taste buds alight.

James, Nicola and their team are massive champions of traditional, artisan, British farmhouse cheeses, especially those from small, grass-fed herds, and it’s these that furnish the counter. From boisterous West Country Cheddars, to gentle soft, bloomy rinders and powerful blues. 

Equally, they like to support small, niche producers in the shop, selling thoughtfully chosen charcuterie, preserves, beers, wines and ciders. They are also co-founders of The Real Cheese Project.

Green & Lovely, East Molesey

“My vision,” says founder Paul Donoughue, talking about the creation of Green & Lovely in 2020, “was that I wanted to get good food where we live in East Molesey. I thought, ‘why do I have to get in the car and drive to find it?’. We’re surrounded by gorgeous places – Hampton Court Palace, lots of lovely restaurants and bars - but we didn’t have a decent deli-style shop. I wanted to build the kind of place I’d go to. Not just for the food, but for all the elements of it.” 

The first thing that hits you, undeniably, as you enter Green & Lovely is the smell of cheese, Paul says. “It’s not a big shop, around 300sq ft. The counter is right in front of you, and the other fridges are filled with lots of lovely things. Everyone gets a warm welcome, and we instinctively know if they want to wander around for a nosy, or if they’re after something in particular.” 

Green & Lovely’s counter is weighted heavily towards British cheeses. It’s crucial, Paul thinks, to support the nation’s makers. “It’s one of the most important heritages of this country, and it’s pure passion.”

All the classic continental cheeses are, of course, in stock, he adds. “You’ve got to have your Gruyère, scooping Gorgonzola and Munster. We don’t have European Brie, though. Instead we have Welsh Brie and two English Bries. You have to stock Baron Bigod these days!” 

Paul spends a lot of time thinking about the counter, ensuring all countries in Britain are represented – with a particular fondness for Welsh cheese, which he thinks is “absolutely brilliant”. 

All in a Pickle, Greenwich 

“We like to have fun here,” says Darren Kellar wryly. He and wife Nicola have become a must-visit double act in their small corner of Westmount Road, London, putting smiles on customers’ faces for nearly a decade. 

What makes All in a Pickle unique in its location, says Nicola, is a dedication to predominantly British cheeses, complemented by around a dozen firm European favourites. “We try to stock things you can’t get in the supermarket,” she adds. “If you came into the shop today, that’s what you’d experience. You’d be able to find lots of cheeses you won’t see elsewhere.” Customers are encouraged to try everything by the closeknit team, which includes Nicola’s sister and best friend from school. “It’s like a little family,” she beams. 

“Customers like our banter,” Darren adds. “Everyone has a laugh in here, and we’ve got lots of regulars who’ve become good friends.” 

Despite being small, Darren and Nicola say they punch above their size when it comes to sales, attracting a wide and loyal demographic, who appreciate the fact they can pop in for a chat and to buy just 50g of cheese if they like – there’s no pressure.