Winner
Chosen by our judges:
The Cheese Society, Lincoln
The finalists
The top public vote-winners:
Jade’s Farm Shop, Burton Coggles, Lincolnshire
Belvoir Farm Shop Butchery, Leicestershire
The Cheese Society, Lincoln
Bridge 67, Kibworth Beauchamp, Leicestershire
The winner is The Cheese Society, a family-run Lincoln shop that unites exceptional farmhouse cheeses with passion, creativity and a love of sharing great food. It combines an exceptional cheese counter with a brilliant new gourmet bakery and sandwich takeaway.
The counter is one of the best you’ll find, with a focus on farmhouse cheeses – many unpasteurised – from small, independent producers. Local treasures like Cote Hill Blue and Lincolnshire Poacher sit alongside English icons such as Colston Bassett Stilton and Cornish Kern, plus European favourites like Raclette and Comté. Every wedge and wheel is offered with enthusiasm, as the knowledgeable team share their “joie de fromage” with every customer. You’ll also find a carefully chosen range of accompaniments, from quince paste and sourdough crackers to Drivers Pickles.
That passion extends to how they sell their goods. Their in-store lucky dip is a fun way to discover something new, while the subscription Cheese Club has become a brilliant way for customers to explore artisan cheeses at home.
From October 2025, the shop’s former café space has been transformed into a new bakery and sandwich counter, featuring homemade seasonal sandwiches, toasties, pastries and cakes – many with a cheese-inspired twist. These sit alongside fresh loaves and pastries from Grain of Truth Bakery, making the Cheese Society a destination for more than cheese alone. Add in their famous Double Baked Cheese Soufflé, ready to take home and bake, and you have a shop full of reasons to return again and again.
Family-run since 1997, when founder Kate O’Meara first opened its doors, the Cheese Society continues to evolve while staying true to its independent roots.
In choosing the Cheese Society as our Shop of the Year 2025/6, our judges wanted to recognise a business that champions independence, celebrates exceptional produce, and delivers joy to its customers. This is a shop that connects people to the craft of cheesemaking and the wider food community, while constantly reinventing itself to stay fresh and relevant. It’s welcoming, knowledgeable, and unashamedly passionate about flavour.
