Cheese Shops We Love: The Bristol Cheesemonger

Location

The Bristol Cheesemonger

Wapping Wharf, Unit 8 Cargo 2 Museum Street

Bristol BS1 6ZA

Southwest England: Famous for Cheese

The Bristol Cheesemonger is a specialist cheese shop located on the bustling harbor in Bristol, England. When Oli Smith and his wife Jenny Howell took over as owners in 2021, Bristol Cheesemonger was already a local favorite and had won the UK’s Best Cheesemonger in 2017. The Smiths committed to continuing in the tradition with which the shop had been founded, focusing on mostly small producers in Southwest England and a few further afield.

Hailing from London, the duo had spent several years teaching English in Korea before returning to England and settling in Bath. Smith took a job at Bath Fine Cheese Company while Jenny continued to teach. In 2018, Smith took a job at Bristol Cheesemonger, and the couple permanently relocated to Bristol. “Bristol has a real buzz about it. People love supporting local, independent businesses, and the food scene is phenomenal as a result. Once we decided to relocate, we never looked back,” Smith said.

Before buying the shop, Smith worked at The Bath Soft Cheese Co., a working dairy farm, located near Bath, with its own herd. He explained, “Bath Soft Cheese Co. was a phenomenal place to learn about the subtle variations that impact the taste and texture of farmhouse cheese, as well as learn all I could about maturation.

Bristol Cheesemonger has always had a strong focus on giving our customers a sense of connection to the producers and how these extraordinary products are made.” It is this intimate approach—and the fact that Smith knows his market—that makes Bristol Cheesemonger so successful. He’s tuned into the seasons and locality of his client base…and he’s not afraid to try new things. He knows all of the producers, and he makes personal farm visits, a practice he says is quite uncommon.

In just two years, Bristol Cheesemonger has garnered national press with the Guardian and was named as the country’s Most Inspirational Cheese Retailers by Specialty Food magazine. Smith was also invited to judge at a prestigious cheese competition last year.

The Shop

Bristol Cheesemonger cheese case — Bristol Cheesemonger photo credit Penny Sadler

The Bristol Cheesemonger is located on the harbor in the Wapping Wharf development. The shop is housed inside a shipping container development called Cargo. All of the businesses located at Cargo are locally owned, and there are four Michelin guide restaurants there. It’s a lively area, popular with both tourists and Bristolians.

Inside the Bristol Cheesemonger, the space is cozy, with room for just two people at the counter. But it works, especially on sunny days when customers can drift outside while their orders are being prepared. During the holiday season, the team at Bristol Cheesemonger serves samples to customers waiting outside in the queue.

At any given time, there are about thirty-five cheeses in the shop, which Smith considers house cheeses—that is, cheeses that he always has on hand as long as they are in season. He also rotates other cheeses from the same twenty producers and occasionally some “guest” producers.

The shop also carries Dunleavy English wines, a boutique producer that you cannot find outside the UK, as well as a selection of chutney and cheese boards. A recent addition is home cheesemaking lessons, which Smith says “have been a massive success.”

Top Selling Cheeses

Westcombe Cheddar

We've always carried Westcombe Cheddar, a soft, traditional, cloth-bound cheddar made from raw milk, then laid down for twelve to eighteen months. The batches we like have a subtle lactic tang. We look for a savory warmth in the taste, and a long finish, with hints of caramel and hazelnut. The cheese quality and how well we know the farm means it just flies out the door.

Wandering Ewe

According to Smith, “Wandering Ewe is an Alpine-style hard cheese from a small holding only fifteen minutes away from the shop. Batches can vary considerably, but the ones I love for the shop are bright and herbaceous up front, with a touch of sweetness. It melts away in the mouth to a deep, savory, long finish reminiscent of mutton fat. Often a bit piquant on the finish. It pairs well with the Dunleavy rosé, a wine from a local producer.”

Sparkenhoe Blue

Shares Smith, “A house favorite, we’ve had some truly stunning batches from maker Will Clarke. The cheese varies a fair amount throughout the year, which makes it a joy to work with. We love the conversation we have with customers when they ask us if we have any Stilton. The Sparkenhoe Blue is not pasteurized, so it cannot be Stilton. Will’s cheese is more supple and soft than other examples of the Stilton style. Not too powerful on the blue, but pleasingly peppery. Flavors are diverse from batch to batch but usually nutty. A bit biscuity and quite savory with a hint of green olive.”

The Somerset countryside around Bristol is well known for cheese production. If you’re traveling to Bristol, stop in the Bristol Cheesemonger for a crash course in English and West Country cheeses. Your tastebuds will thank you.