Muswell Hill Broadway has no Tube station, which is both a blessing and a curse depending on how you look at it. It possesses a village feel that is hard to find in London: I once dropped a £10 note on the floor walking down the Broadway and someone returned it to me within seconds. So, how do you get to this magical north London oasis? All it takes is a bus up one of the city’s steepest hills — which locals insist “comes every two minutes” (your experiences may vary) — and you’ll find impressive views of London’s skyline, a very swanky Wetherspoons (honestly) and an adorable little cheese shop, Cheeses of Muswell Hill.
It’s worth saying that there are a handful of independent institutions in north London that offer great cheese. There’s Middle Lane Market, Crouch End Cellars and Provisions, all just down the road. But Cheeses of Muswell Hill is like something out of a film, the kind of place that becomes an unsuspecting star in a Richard Curtis rom-com. It is the kind of place that Americans think all shops in England look like, especially around Christmas, when two life-sized nutcrackers guard the shop. Londoners won’t be surprised to know they’ve been stolen and returned a few times.
Cheeses of Muswell Hill is a family business run by Morgan McGlynn Carr, who might be familiar from the telly. She’s the resident cheese expert on Sunday Brunch, which makes for a perfect hangover watch, and her knowledge of cheese and knack for creating beautiful cheeseboards has scored her viral success and three book deals. But the shop, curiously, remains something of a secret, even among her fans.
It has been open since 1982, and it remains a true hidden gem. There’s a good chance you’ll miss it strolling down Fortis Green Road, just off the Broadway. Its glass-panelled facade spans just under three metres, and the shop itself is no bigger than a store room. Despite this, it stocks well over 200 cheeses, making it a cheese-lover’s haven. Yellow bite-sized cubes of cheese are placed on a tray to lure people in like mice to a trap. When you enter, a selection of jams, quince and pickles sit on top of a counter of monochromatic wheels of yellow cheese. The smell is mostly heaven, just a little bit of funk.
“This is the kind of place that becomes an unsuspecting star in a Richard Curtis rom-com”
A secret war bunker
The shop takes sustainability seriously. With its carbon footprint in mind, it relies on a single person to collect and deliver the cheese on a weekly basis, instead of having several trucks making deliveries into London. Packing materials are all biodegradable, including all of the bags and, unusually, a compostable cling film. At the end of the week, any left-over cheese is given to a local food bank.
Perhaps the most surprising thing about the shop is its unusual approach to storage. Once they discovered an old war bunker in the back of the shop, they decided to use it to store and mature the cheese, the damp and cool conditions being ideal. Because of the bunker, it means the shop doesn’t rely on any refrigeration at all — the natural damp which comes from being built into a hill does the trick instead.
From the best of British to cheese from France, Italy, Spain, Holland and more, Cheeses of Muswell Hill builds its selection around seasonal stock. Looking for something specific? Almost certainly, they have it. Need to build an emergency cheeseboard for a party? You’re guaranteed to leave with a bag of high-quality produce. They also stock wine, crackers, cheese tools and hampers, useful for last-minute parties and gifting.
The personal touch
The shop sets itself apart from others by supporting small cheese producers, buying directly from suppliers instead of wholesalers. Carr and her family have built relationships with dairy farmers over the years, and many of the producers the shop stocks use their own sheep, cows or goats’ milk as opposed to buying it in. Carr spends a month out of the year individually picking the cheeses that they stock in the shop. “It’s really important to me to know exactly where it’s coming from, the family that’s producing it, the way that they’re making the cheese, the herds that they’re using,” she says. And as such, artisan makers from the continent get top billing here— supermarket names are left by the, ahem, wheyside.
Cheese lates
If a trek to Muswell Hill just to buy some cheese sounds too strenuous, consider the “Cheese Lates”, which offer an opportunity to both indulge and learn — all with plenty of wine. Guests are invited into the shop after hours, with each event spotlighting a different season, style or drinks pairing. No frills, no gimmicks, just lots of eating and drinking.
In a world where a trip to a single shop can serve almost all of our grocery needs, stop and think of this glorious little independent establishment. There’s so much magic in places like these, where discovering new cheeses is like uncovering a new secret. And let’s be honest, it’s great when they hand you those little tastes straight from the wheel. Whether you’re a cheese fanatic, or simply looking to explore a new neighbourhood, make sure to take a pit stop in this delicious corner of north London.
13 Fortis Green Road, N10, cheesesonline.co.uk
