I.J. Mellis Cheesemongers

What I.J. Mellis Cheesemongers does

I.J. Mellis Cheesemongers is a family-owned Scottish artisan cheese retailer founded in 1993 by Iain Mellis after nearly 15 years in the British cheese industry. The business operates six retail stores across the UK — three in Edinburgh (Stockbridge, Morningside, and the flagship on Victoria Street), one in Glasgow (Great Western Road, originally the firm's maturing room), one in St Andrews, and one in Crouch End, London acquired in late 2024 — alongside an e-commerce storefront with UK home delivery and a 30-plus-year wholesale trade arm supplying farmhouse cheese to restaurants, delicatessens, hotels, and stores. The product range centres on single-herd farmhouse cheese sourced from small family-run farms, matured by trained affineurs in Edinburgh maturing rooms, supplemented by accompaniments (chutneys, oatcakes, honeys, teas, biscuits), cheese selections, gift cards, and accessories.

The company monetises through five distinct streams: physical retail sales, a subscription business (Cheese Club and Supper Club at £42–£47 per month across 1-, 3-, 6-, and 12-month and bi-monthly cadences), wholesale distribution to trade customers, private events (minimum £300 spend at the Morningside Cheese Lounge, a 20-cover wine bar opened in 2018), and corporate gifting via curated hampers, in-store gift cards (£10–£100), and e-gift vouchers (£10–£250). Individual cheeses are priced at approximately £36–£70 per kg and online orders over £50 qualify for free delivery.

There are no proprietary technology systems disclosed; operations rely on traditional cheesemongery expertise and artisanal maturation techniques, with the technology footprint limited to a standard e-commerce platform and WordPress-based website (mellischeese.net). The company is registered in Scotland as Mellis Cheese Limited (SC394772) under the registered office at Albion Business Centre, Edinburgh, has no subsidiaries, no disclosed external funding, and operates as a privately held family business serving individual consumers, trade customers, and corporate clients.

Name

I.J. Mellis Cheesemongers

Legal name

Mellis Cheese Limited

Website

https://mellischeese.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

I.J. Mellis Cheesemongers is a family-owned Scottish artisan cheese retailer founded in 1993, operating six UK stores plus e-commerce, subscriptions, and wholesale distribution of single-herd farmhouse cheese to consumers, restaurants, hotels, and corporate clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Cheese Retail

NAICS

Other Specialty Food Retailers (44529)

SIC

Retail-Food Stores (5400)

akta.pro primary industry

Cheese Shops & Fromageries (CRAHAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Cheese Aging/Affineur Services (Maturation & Cave-Aging) (AFAHABAH)

Keywords

• Artisan cheese retail
• Farmhouse cheese supply
• Cheese subscription boxes
• Cheesemonger wholesale
• Scottish artisan cheese

Headquarters

HQ city

Edinburgh

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Retail Store Sales: Physical retail sales of artisanal cheeses, accompaniments, and specialty produce across six UK store locations.
2. Subscription Boxes: Monthly and bi-monthly Cheese Club and Supper Club subscriptions delivering curated cheese selections. Subscriptions available in 1, 3, 6, and 12-month terms with recurring billing.
3. Wholesale Distribution: B2B wholesale supply of farmhouse cheese and specialty produce to restaurants, delicatessens, hotels, and retail stores across the UK.
4. Private Events: Private event hosting at Morningside store with minimum £300 spend requirement. Includes corporate packages and private dining experiences.
5. Corporate Gifting: Curated hampers and bespoke corporate gift packages for employee and client gifting occasions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

I.J. Mellis Cheesemongers is a family-owned Scottish artisan cheese retailer that sources single-herd farmhouse cheeses from small family-run farms and matures them in dedicated affinage rooms. The company sells these cheeses, along with accompaniments and specialty produce, through six physical UK stores (Edinburgh, Glasgow, St Andrews, London), a direct e-commerce site, monthly/bi-monthly subscription clubs (Cheese Club and Supper Club), wholesale distribution to trade customers, private events hosting, corporate gifting, and custom wedding cheese celebration cakes.

Product overview

I.J. Mellis Cheesemongers is a Scottish artisan cheese retailer operating as a unified retail and e-commerce business. The company offers farmhouse cheeses sourced from small family-run farms, with products spanning core cheese offerings (including artisan varieties like Alp Blossom, Baron Bigod, Lanark Blue, Isle of Mull Cheddar, and international selections), cheese subscription services (Cheese Club and Supper Club in one, three, six, twelve month, and bi-monthly plans), accompaniments (honey, chutneys, biscuits, teas, coffee, and preserves), gift options (in-store gift cards, e-gift vouchers, and cotton bags), and services including The Cheese Lounge wine bar, private events hosting, corporate gifting packages, and wedding cheese cakes. The business operates six physical stores across Edinburgh, Glasgow, St Andrews, and London.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Artisanal Farmhouse Cheese

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Neal's Yard Dairy: Iconic London-based artisanal cheese retailer specialising in British farmhouse cheese with deep affineur expertise, multiple retail locations, restaurant wholesale, and a long heritage. Closest comparable to Mellis in product, customer, and operational model.
• Paxton & Whitfield: Long-established UK cheesemonger (founded 1797) operating multiple retail shops with online sales and wholesale. Comparable heritage, multi-channel footprint, and premium positioning.
• La Fromagerie: London-based specialty cheese retailer with multiple shops, online ordering, restaurant wholesale, and a cheese maturation programme. Directly comparable in product mix, target customer, and operations.
• The Fine Cheese Co. Bath-based cheese retailer offering artisanal cheeses online and through trade/wholesale supply to restaurants, hotels, and delis. Comparable in B2B/B2C mix and premium artisan focus.
• The Courtyard Dairy: Yorkshire-based specialist cheese retailer with online sales, an in-store cheese counter, and expertise in farmhouse and artisan cheese. Comparable scale, curation model, and specialist positioning.
• The Cheese Geek: UK-focused online cheese subscription and retailer delivering curated artisan cheeses. Directly comparable subscription model and product positioning, though predominantly online.

Regional players

• Murray's Cheese: US specialty cheese retailer with retail shops, restaurant wholesale, cheese classes, and a national e-commerce footprint. Conceptually comparable artisan-fromagerie model but operates in North America rather than the UK.

Emerging players

• Cheese Culture: UK artisan cheese subscription box company with online retail focus. Comparable subscription and curation model, though smaller scale and primarily online rather than multi-store.

Broad incumbents

• Waitrose: Major UK supermarket chain with a substantial premium cheese offering in-store and online, plus a dedicated cheese counter programme. Competes for the same premium cheese customer but as part of a broad grocery portfolio.
• Fortnum & Mason: Iconic London department store with a flagship food hall featuring a curated cheese counter and strong gifting/hampers business. Overlaps with Mellis on premium gifting and cheese retail at a national/international tourist customer level.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/i.j.-mellis-cheesemongers

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about I.J. Mellis Cheesemongers