Exchange Street enjoys one of the higher occupancy rates in Dundee and at the forefront of this “downtown” hub sits a cosy cheese shop, run by husband and wife Stephen and Hilary Barney.
The Cheesery was bought by the Barneys in 2016, taking over from previous owner Dorothy Hegarty.
Since then they’ve opened a second store in Broughty Ferry, gained a loyal customer base and battled through the pandemic and cost-of-living-crisis.
Hilary says the success of the shop comes down to two fundamental elements.
“The shop’s success really comes down to two things — how great our team are and our terrific customers.
“Our staff are key, they don’t ever let things get stale and come up with great ideas.
“We do not have a high staff turnover, they are all very knowledgeable and passionate about our products.
“Added to that are our great customers.
“We do sell a lot of luxury products. Our customers make an effort to come to us and we appreciate that no-end.
“We want to provide the absolute best service for them.”
Footfall dropped
External factors have not helped High Street retailers in recent years, and The Cheesery has not been immune.
The ever-changing landscape of business and customer spending habits have meant the Barney’s have had to adapt. And, of course, there was the pandemic.
Their background in street food, which took them all over the country cooped-up in a van, helped.
“My husband and I come from a food background. Before we took over the shop, we ran a street-food van, based in Crystal Palace in London.
“But we toured all over the country, cooking at festivals and events all over the UK.
“We both wanted to stay in the industry, and I am originally from Dundee, so buying the shop was a case of being in the right place at the right time.
“During the pandemic, we had to obviously make changes. We started a home delivery service, and our hampers too.
“But it was great to get back into the shop and serve our customers again, especially after such a scary situation.
“There are fewer people working in the city now, footfall is not what it once was.
“Our Ferry shop has a higher footfall, more people visit Broughty Ferry as a destination, tourists and residents.
“Our Dundee shop is still a destination though, people do come in to town to pick something up from us.”
Keeping it local
As part of that, the Cheesery offers a bespoke gift box service, as well as a “try-before-you-buy” policy, where suitable.
As well as supplying top quality cheese, Stephen and Hilary try and use the “best of local” when it comes to accompaniments.
Aitkens Wine and the Wine Press are just one of the many nearby businesses who work hand-in-hand with The Cheesery.
“When we can, we let people try before they buy, and we offer bespoke gift boxes, where people can choose what products they want,” she added.
“We also offer a monthly subscription, for £30 a month a box of our best cheeses are delivered to your door, complete with tasting notes.
“It is great to be able to work with fellow local businesses. We source our wine from Aitkens, and use Barnett’s bakery too.
“Wherever possible we try and use local independent suppliers.”
Future of the High Street
Hilary tells us the future of the High Street will depend on the support levels local authorities and the Scottish Government give to independent shops and businesses.
“Having more local, independent shops on the High Street would be ideal,” she said.
“This is a good chance for councils and the Scottish Government to put ‘local’ first.
“Rates are high, really high. It can be a struggle to think about. There are some shops and businesses which have been set-up, which sound like a good idea, and they fall.
“That is life, it can be very hard. And shop keepers and business owners are the ones taking the chance.”
Dundee Matters
The Courier has recently launched an initiative aimed at finding solutions for the city centre’s problems – Dundee Matters.
Our first focus is on the high streets and as part of that we are looking for you to have your say in our survey.
Your responses will help guide our high street summit we are set to host this May. It is event with a focus on finding solutions which can help reverse the trajectory of the city centre.
Conversation