They say it takes a village to raise a child which is a phrase I have learnt all too well since having my own recently. It is also true of the other baby in my life - my cheese business and more recently The Cheese Place.
It sounds cheesy to say (I know, another pun, sigh!) but I couldn't have got through the last few months without the support of so many. It has been a huge team effort to get The Cheese Place up and running; from donations of furnishings and DIY to amazing friends and family doing their bit and of course the support from our customers.
There have been a lot of early starts and late nights to get to where we are now, and it's still the start of this chapter of the journey.
Now, when people ask me if we have a shop in Towcester, I can say a big fat YES! If you haven't been along yet, we're next door to the Wharf Distillery at 2 Brackley Road, Towcester. We're currently open Thursdays & Fridays 10am-2pm and plan to open Saturdays 10am-4pm from Saturday 15th June.
How did it all come about?
Since I set up Cheese on Towcest' four years ago (can't believe it has been that long), the dream has been to have my own place alongside my cheese on wheels aka the trailer! So many people have asked me if there's somewhere they can come to buy their cheese, especially if they can't make any of the weekly or monthly markets I'm at.
While I was building the business up, I didn't want to commit to a premises but at the start of 2024, the opportunity came up at The Wharf and after conversations with owners Alice and Laurence, it all came together and was a chance I couldn't pass up on.
After how successful the markets have been for Cheese on Towcest', it seemed like the next natural business expansion - we can only be in one place at a time with the trailer and we're only in Towcester at the Farmer's Market once a month. With The Cheese Place we have more opportunities to serve up lots of tasty cheese throughout the month.
They say your biggest challenges teach you the most and that has also been true, we have learn lots of lessons already including to take all the help being offered, you won't regret it!
There have been a lot of early starts and late nights to get to where we are now, and it's still the start of this chapter of the journey. I want to take this opportunity to say a big cheesy thank you to each and every person who has helped be part of that - you know who you are. Our opening day in May was incredible, so many of you turned out to support us and it meant the world. Just make sure you keep coming in to buy cheese (please!)
Based in the former bottling room, the idea behind The Cheese Place is to have a friendly environment where people can come and buy cheese, try cheese and chat cheese! We have a fully stocked cheese fridge with customer favourites, and new cheeses to try, along with locally made products including chutneys, honey, biscuits and more.
I also wanted a dine-in option so that people could come and sit down and enjoy some cheese so we have introduced our signature Cheese Platters which include three different cheeses each month along with a variety of pairings (the chocolate digestive and Sussex floral cheese sparked some discussions last month!)
Now, when people ask me if we have a shop in Towcester, I can say a big fat YES! If you haven't been along yet, we're next door to the Wharf Distillery at 2 Brackley Road, Towcester.
We have lots of other ideas for the future so watch this space but one thing at a time - also, we want to deliver what you would like to see so please do share your feedback and suggestions, it's so important.
They say your biggest challenges teach you the most and that has also been true, we have learn lots of lessons already including to take all the help being offered, you won't regret it!
Right, I'm off to do more planning for The Cheese Place (too many ideas, not enough time springs to mind) - look forward to seeing you there.
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