Inspirational Cheese Retailers 2025: All in a Pickle

“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.

The couple (Darren formerly worked for the MOD and Nicola in HR and recruitment) joke that All in a Pickle is a lengthy extended honeymoon. They did, after all, open the shop nine months after tying the knot - their passion for cheese celebrated by guests who gifted them a 2kg wheel of Godminster.

“Coming up with a name for it was difficult,” Darren says, revealing they didn’t have branding for the business close to the opening day. “I called Nicola at work and said, ‘we really need to decide on a name for the shop and quickly’. Her reply was, ‘I can’t talk now, I’m all in a pickle’.” And it stuck.

The best of British

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.”

Triumph over adversity

While Covid was, of course, a difficult time for everyone, Darren said it was the making of the shop. The few tables and chairs they’d had set up in a cafe arrangement were taken out for social distancing, and sales went up by around 300%. “We were so busy, we don’t know how we kept up. Nicola was working her full-time day job, and the deli.”

“I think the reason Covid impacted us was you couldn’t get pasta or other essentials in the supermarkets,” Nicola says. “We posted on Instagram saying, ‘we’ve got pasta’ and people came in and realised everything we did. They thought we were a cafe, but we could show we were a deli, and all the things we offered. We introduced grazing platters and it was absolutely mental! I’ve got no idea how we did it.”

The business continues to grow through word of mouth, and the couple’s entrepreneurial spirit, such as supplying local pubs with cheese labelled with the All in a Pickle name, has further increased their local presence.

Befriend your wholesaler

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.

“Rowcliffe is our main supplier, and our sales rep always talks about us whenever she’s meeting her boss. When he came here, he couldn’t believe how small we were because we buy so much cheese.”

It’s a relationship that continues to blossom, with the shop supplying outside catering for the wholesaler’s meetings, and the Rowcliffe team heavily involved in helping to set up their cheese counter, keep cheese in peak condition, and wrap it. “We still argue about how to wrap cheese,” Darren smiles.

“Working so closely with them has been key for us,” Nicola adds.