Food Shop of the Year: Great Food Club Awards 2020

Winner

The Melton Cheeseboard, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire


Finalists

Just So Italian, Market Harborough & Stamford
Wigston News & Deli, Wigston Magna, Leicestershire
Barrowden & Wakerley Community Shop, Barrowden, Rutland


The winner is The Melton Cheeseboard. This small shop in the centre of Melton Mowbray is packed to the gunnels with over 150 cheeses. The local selection is strong, with Stiltons from Long Clawson and Cropwell Bishop, Lincolnshire Poacher in all its forms, Cote Hill Blue and many more. Its busy cheese counter is also home to hatfuls of stunning UK varieties, such as Bath Soft Cheese, Cornish Yarg, Five Mile Town Goats’ Cheese, Ribblesdale Superior, plus many European classics, such as Gorgonzola and Raclette.

But there’s more at The Melton Cheeseboard: Hambleton Bakery bread, award-winning pork pies from Leeson’s of Oakham, cured meats from Melton Charcuterie, gins from Burleighs Distillery, and yoghurt from Manor Farm of Thrussington.

Topping it all are the Cheeseboard’s friendly, knowledgeable staff, led by owners Tim and Lyn Brown, who have run the shop since 2005. They know their cheese, so if you need advice, you just need to shout.


Just So Italian has branches in Market Harborough (the original) and Stamford, and will soon open a Leicester outlet. Visiting is a feast for the senses. If offers delicious food-to-go or eat-in including pizza, pastries and sandwiches.

Inside Just So Italian in Market Harborough

The shop is also crammed with Italian delicacies such as arancini, ndjua, focaccia, pasta and much more. Every product, even the baked items, is imported from Italy by owners Danilo and Alison Trozzi.


Wigston News & Deli is much more than just a cornershop. Owner Pratik Master has turned it into a beacon of local food and drink. Transforming a typical suburban newsagent into a bustling food hub, while also retaining its community values, is a huge achievement. Therefore we’ve named Pratik our Food Hero of the Year 2020. Read more here.


Barrowden & Wakerley Community Shop is at the heart of village life in Barrowden. Anyone who wants to see just how valuable a shop can be to a village community should pay it a visit. Its shelves are stocked with a good selection of locally produced food and drink, such as bread from King’s Cliffe Bakery, sausages from Grasmere Farm and beer from The Grainstore Brewery. But the shop’s true strength lies in its ability to bring the village together through food and drink.

The author:

Matt lives in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire. He is passionate about the independent food & drink sector and founded Great Food Club in 2010 after being inspired by local producers near his home town.