Meet Steven Sweet, our new Jermyn Street Manager

Meet Steven Sweet, our new Jermyn Street Manager

Jermyn Street is the flagship home of Paxton & Whitfield, and a shop with an extraordinary history of its own. We first opened in Jermyn Street in 1835, and our current shop at 93 Jermyn Street has been home to Paxton & Whitfield since 1896.

We are therefore very pleased to introduce Steven Sweet, who is taking over the reins as our new Jermyn Street Manager. Steven brings years of specialist cheesemongering experience, a deep enthusiasm for great cheese and a real belief that visiting a cheesemonger should be about far more than simply buying something to eat.

We sat down with Steven to talk about the cheese that first stopped him in his tracks, what years behind the counter have taught him and, most importantly, what he is eating right now.

What was the first cheese that made you fall in love with the industry?

This is always a tough question, but probably Beaufort. I remember trying it for the first time from a cheese trolley at a Hotel I was working in and being mesmerised by its flavour, depth and character.

What have your years working in specialist cheese retail taught you?

I have had the honour of working at some of the most special cheese shops in the country. Cheese is a sensory experience and should be celebrated. It does not start when you eat it. The journey begins when you walk into a cheesemonger.

Every cheese deserves to be celebrated because each one is special and unique in its own way. Every cheesemonger also has their own way of showcasing cheese and its beauty.

Most importantly, engaging with customers should make a visit feel welcoming, memorable and personal.

What attracted you to Paxton & Whitfield and to taking on Jermyn Street?

The incredible history and heritage of Paxton & Whitfield was a huge attraction, but so was the shared passion, drive and love of cheese. Jermyn Street is such a special shop, with so much history behind it, and I am very excited to become part of that story.

What are you most excited to bring to Jermyn Street?

Enthusiasm, passion and dedication.

I want to showcase the incredible diversity of cheeses we have, from brilliant regional British cheeses to Continental classics, and help everyone who walks through the door discover something they might not have tried before.

If someone was visiting Jermyn Street for the first time, which cheese would you put in their hands?

I’d choose Sinodun Hill or Kirkham’s Lancashire. They are both fantastic representations of the incredible British cheeses being made today.

For me, they also represent a really simple ethos: happy animals, great milk, happy cheese.

And finally, what is your ultimate cheese pairing right now?

Bleu des Basques with acacia honey and a glass of Tokaji.

A very good excuse, we think, to pay Steven a visit at Jermyn Street.