Build the ultimate cheese counter: here’s how

You’ve got your accompaniments down to a ‘t’, your cutting kit is armed and ready and your customers are chomping at the bit to buy some excellent cheese in its prime… But without a functional space which works for both the people in front of it and behind it, and an array that will serve everyone in question, your cheese efforts could turn into an expensive error.

Of course, curating the ultimate selection of cheeses is a cornerstone of the ultimate cheese counter. “Getting the balance between classics and more unusual cheeses right is key. A great counter should include cheeses that customers immediately recognise and feel comfortable with – Brie, Cheddar, Comté, Stilton – but also a good range of more unusual cheeses that encourage curiosity and discovery,” says Svetlana Kukharchuk, founder and CEO of The Cheese Lady.

“It’s also important to cover a wide range of textures (soft, semi-firm, firm, hard, smooth, crumbly and so on), milk types (cow, sheep, goat, buffalo) and cheese styles (bloomy rind, washed rind, alpine, Cheddar, grana, blue and others). A good mix of countries and origins is important too. Balance across all of these areas creates a counter that feels exciting,” she advises.

“A split across the classic cheese types as a broad guide I’d recommend,” begins Andy Swinscoe of The Courtyard Dairy. “40% hard (with a mix of crumblies, Cheddar-style and Continental); 10% goat/ sheep, 25% blue (with at the very least a softer blue then a firmer Stilton-style) and 25% soft.”

While every customer base will have its favourite cheeses that retailers will do their best to keep in-counter, there’s no hard and fast rule as to what to stock year-round, says Andy. “I don’t think in this day and age there are any ‘must-stocks’ as long as you have these bases covered. If you’re more of a passive counter, letting the customer choose, you may want some big names: the Stiltons, famous Cheddars, Manchego, etc. but if you have engaging, trained staff, this really isn’t necessary as they can hopefully guide the customer around to find something they like.”

Regionality can play a role, though. “If you are a regional cheese-shop you may lean a little more towards a particular style (we have three Wensleydales and two Lancashires, but only two Cheddars; in the South-West I’d expect a reverse of that),” he says.

The art of presentation

The best range of cheeses in the world could still sit there unbought if their presentation isn’t up to scratch. “Presentation is key,” says Svetlana. “Cheeses should be arranged in a way that has some logic, whether that’s by country, milk type, style or strength, so customers can either understand it visually or staff can explain it easily.”

“We like to keep our counter looking full and abundant, as it naturally catches people’s attention. When you have a good mix of cheeses, you automatically create contrast through different colours, textures and shapes. Most importantly, cheese should always look loved and well cared for – well wrapped, well signed and presented at its best.”

“The old cliches ‘eye line is buy line’ and ‘if you can’t see it, you can’t sell it’ still ring true,” advises Andy. The ideal scenario, he says, are “Big central displays, not too cluttered, cheeses well organised into style, and labels clear and inviting: not too detailed or too small a text with big punchy headlines.”

He also suggests pointing out any key exciting factors – a local, a regional, a special age profile. “But not too many – just on a few key cheeses. And cut the soft cheese open – even if they’re individuals; the texture is so important.”

Functionality matters

For a cheese counter to work at its best, cheesemongers need to tailor its functionality to work within their requirements. “Functionality is very important,” agrees Svetlana. “Cheeses need to be easy to reach, easy to restock and practical for staff to work with throughout the day.

“Having a counter that opens from the front makes restocking much easier,” she continues. “I also think it’s important for staff to regularly step out from behind the counter and look at the cheeses from the customer’s perspective, because what looks organised from behind the counter doesn’t always look the same from the front.”

While it’s possible to create a counter that functions perfectly behind the scenes and boosts sales, that doesn’t mean that the job stops there. “A cheese counter is never really finished,” Svetlana explains. “It is always evolving as cheeses sell, new cheeses arrive and seasons change. It’s a living thing that constantly needs attention and care, and that’s part of what makes it so enjoyable.”

“I always say that you want to spend as much time as possible serving the customer, as little as possible doing the functional stuff: cutting, wrapping, putting on scales,” suggests Andy. “The most important thing when a customer comes into a shop is that they feel welcome, happy and engaged. They must leave having a positive experience with some cheese they’ll really enjoy.”

3 top tips from Andy

● Cheese should only be touched a minimal amount of times: cut, wrap, on till -> bag.
● Think carefully about your flow around the back so multiple servers are not blocking each other, wax paper and all utensils are straight to hand and you don’t have to move much to bag up/store the cheese.
● The more you move about, turn your back to customers, you have to use multiple options on a till, the worse the customer experience is.