Bath Cheese Shop - Paxton & Whitfield

22 July, 2021

Paxton & Whitfield Bath Cheese Shop

A light, bright shop with a stunning window and views towards Queen Square, our Bath cheese shop is undoubtedly one of the experiences that should be incorporated into any trip to the World Heritage City. The shop is situated in one of the charming buildings of the city centre - a short walk from the Theatre Royal, Queens Square park and The Jane Austen Centre.

Click here to view our Bath Cheese Shop directions and opening times, or read on to learn more about what our Bath cheese shop has to offer.

Paxton & Whitfield Bath was opened in 1993 and is popular with locals and tourists alike. Pop in to pick up your favourite artisan cheese and speak to our expert cheesemongers about which delicious cheeses and accompaniments to taste next. We also offer free cheese wedding cake and event catering consultancy from the shop and provide cheese on a wholesale basis to the many local hotels, restaurants and cafes.

We caught up with the Bath shop manager Daisy Potter to find out more about her life as a cheese shop manager.

Q: So how did you become a Cheesemonger?

"It’s a question I am often asked. And yet it always surprises me that so many people find my career path so fascinating, as to me its second nature.

As a child, I had a keen interest in all thing’s food. When I was 6 years old, my family and I emigrated to Southern France. This was when (and where) I became fascinated with cheese. Living in the Tarn Valley, cheese was considered a necessity, therefore I grew up on the local’s favourites; from tangy Roquefort to the freshness of soft goat’s cheese like the ones made Fromagerie Le Pic. Back in England, I completed my GCSE’S, and following my love of food I started working in a Bistro Pub as a Pastry Chef. I then went on to work for a local delicatessen in Exeter, Devon, and discovered all the wonderful produce of the South West. I soon outgrew the running of a small delicatessen, and wishing to continue my career is artisan food, I joined Paxton and Whitfield in October 2020 as Manager of the Bath shop."

Q: What are the most popular cheeses in the Bath shop?

"This is a tricky one. With every change in season a new favourite emerges with our regulars. When spring is in the air, fresh goat’s cheeses are particularly popular in Bath. White Lake Farm, based around 20 miles from us, near Shepton Mallet, make the most delicious award-winning goat’s milk cheeses and we are proud to have them on our counter. Another best seller is always our very own Brie Aux Truffles. We only ever use the finest Brie De Meaux and Italian summer truffles to create this masterpiece. This ever so popular cheese is created in store to Paxton’s own recipe and is ‘truffled’ by hand by our expert cheesemongers. We recently created a limited edition batch of our local Bath Soft cheese which proved very popular too!"

Q: What's your favourite thing about working in the shop?

"Day to day life in the shop varies greatly depending on who walks through the door. We love talking to our wonderful customers about cheese and we always hope we find something that you will love. Our daily tasks may sound a little unusual though. To make sure our range of artisan cheeses are in the best possible condition we carry out ‘cheese cleaning’ at the start of every day. The art of ‘mongering’ cheeses requires a keen understanding of how each individual cheese matures and adapting how we look after them as they change and ripen.

John Street in Bath has been home for Paxton and Whitfield for almost 30 years, selling artisan cheeses and accompaniments to residents and tourists of this beautiful Georgian city. Our main aim in Bath is to deliver a high-quality service and to sell the best cheeses the United Kingdom has to offer. We also specialise in French and European cheeses as sometimes you just can’t beat a good Brie De Meaux!

We also love suggesting accompaniments, like crackers and chutney, to really round off your board. We are so fortunate in Bath to have such a fantastic collection of small independent businesses, from bakers to wine shops, that means we have so much delicious produce on our doorstep."