The Fine Cheese Co.

The Fine Cheese Co. opened its first shop in Bath in 1990, founded by Ann-Marie Dyas. A judge at both the British and World Cheese Awards, Ann-Marie was committed to keeping traditional cheesemaking alive and to bringing farmhouse cheeses to a wider audience. Her founding motto still guides the business: seek out the best, and when you’ve found it, keep looking. Today the family-owned company supplies more than 1,100 locations across the UK, from five-star hotels to local delis, and customers in over 60 countries.

The team are selectors and affineurs rather than simple wholesalers. They buy from independent producers who put quality before profit, visit them regularly, and have known some cheesemakers for up to thirty years. Each cheese is chosen for how well it shows the maker’s milk and skill, then matured in the company’s own specialist maturing rooms. Most of their British cheeses are unpasteurised and all are traditionally made.

Backing small farmhouse producers helps keep traditional methods and rare breeds alive. The range includes Pitchfork Cheddar, a Slow Food Presidium cheese made from the raw milk of cows on the farm, and cheeses from Charles Martell of Gloucestershire, who helped save the Old Gloucester breed when only 68 animals remained worldwide.

The Fine Cheese Co. is also the only cheese company in the world with its own bakery. Its crackers, toasts and biscuits are made with olive oil or all-butter only, and were voted Best Crackers and Biscuits in Fine Food Digest’s Best Brands 2025-2026. The condiments are hand-made in small batches, with single flavours and no hidden additives or preservatives. Their charcuterie and foie gras follow the same approach, working only with producers they know personally and trust.