The shops in Merseyside dedicated to cheese you need to visit

Today marks a special day in the calendar of dairy enthusiasts up and down the country – It’s National Cheese Lovers’ Day.

Whether you enjoy a cultured cheeseboard with a glass of wine, cheese and crackers in the afternoon, or a simple cheese pizza, today is the day for you. We spoke to Merseyside’s foremost cheese merchants about their businesses, the variety of cheese on offer, and why they love the art of cheesemaking.

So if you want to satisfy your cheese craving this weekend, these are some of the best places to go.

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Birkdale Cheese Co

Established in Birkdale Village, Southport 45 years ago, Birkdale Cheese Co offers a wide range of British and Continental Cheeses and is a staple of Birkdale’s main street. A small shop packed full of products, it’s a favourite among locals.

Previously known as Birkdale Cheese Centre, it’s undergone a rebranding since it changed hands in May 2021. The new owners, Mark Moss and John Clarke, have worked hard to expand the range of options that they provide – branching out from just cheese.

Speaking to the ECHO, Mark said: "Myself and my partner own it, as we’d always liked the idea of having a deli or something like that. This is the ideal scenario to have – things very rarely come up for sale, and then by chance this came up for sale, and we went for it.

“When we bought it, we wanted to increase the deli side here. We’ve now got a huge range of crackers, chutney, olives, specialist hams, new products like pate. We wanted to get products in that you can’t get at a supermarket. Since we can’t compete with