An independent cheesemonger in Jesmond is celebrating a "whirlwind" first year in business, becoming a huge hit with locals despite opening during Covid restrictions.
Moz Murphy, the owner of Grate, discovered her love of cheese in the late 1990s, a passion that continued to grow as she worked at independent food retailers including Fortnum and Mason and Fenwick.
She decided to channel her expertise into starting her own cheese business in 2020, after finding that Newcastle was lacking in specialist cheese shops.
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Moz was geared up to unveil Grate to the public in May 2020 when the first Covid lockdown put a spanner in the works. Several months later, in October that same year, the Jesmond store was finally able to open its doors.
Grate has proven incredibly popular in its debut year, with Moz describing footfall as “non-stop since the day that we opened”, and had a particularly busy Christmas as customers flocked to the store to stock up for the festive cheese board tradition.
There are typically 100 types of cheese available at Grate, a number which can pass a staggering 150 over Christmas. Moz says that her personal favourite is Montgomery’s Cheddar, a mature cheddar made in Somerset.
The shop is a champion of British and Irish cheese, particularly cheese made locally in Northumberland, as well as the continental classics such as Manchego, Comté and Gruyère.
Customers will find goat’s, sheep’s and buffalo’s milk cheese in stock alongside the more traditional cow’s milk cheese, and there are soy and nut-based vegan alternatives on offer too.
“There’s something for everybody out there,” promises Moz, who gives anyone popping into the shop the opportunity to taste anything they like the look of.
“If you’ve never tried a blue cheese, now is the time to give it a go because you’re not committing to buying a huge piece - you can just have a little taste in the shop and then decide if you like it or not,” she explains.
Even with more than 20 years of experience under her belt, Moz continues to be fascinated by the cheese-making process.
“Absolutely everything is made from the four same ingredients - the most important one being milk,” she says. “Yet you end up with everything from a cheddar, to a brie, to a goat log, to a stinky, gooey washed rind like Époisses.
“The science of it blows my mind. And there’s always something new to taste,” she adds. “I’m really looking forward to learning more of that this year.”
Watch the video above to take a look inside Grate and get a glimpse of the cheeses on offer.
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