The Cheese Connection has announced the opening of its first cheese shop at Wapping Wharf, Bristol on Friday 12 September, with founder Luke Maslen offering free cheeseboards to his first 50 visitors.

Open 7 days a week from this Friday onwards, the cheese shop at Cargo 2 is an evolution of The Cheese Connection brand that was first launched in 2022 as a food truck and mobile cheesemonger. Having spent the past few years bringing artisan cheese and cheesemakers’ stories to festivals, markets, pop-ups and breweries in and around Bristol, Luke will now put down solid roots at Wapping Wharf, to help develop relationships with the growing community of cheese lovers that have supported the business.

With a core range centred around the South West’s top cheeses, including products from Westcombe, White Lake Cheese and Bath Soft Cheese Co., The Cheese Connection will also showcase other standout varieties from the UK and Ireland, as well as a few gems from the wider continent.

While offering a carefully curated and seasonal selection of artisan cheese from Britain and beyond, The Cheese Connection at Cargo 2 will additionally serve up cheese platters, drinks and pre-dinner aperitives for dining on the harbourside, as well as ‘date packs’ to take away. Locals can look forward to a calendar of tasting events too, with upcoming appearances from the likes of Montgomery’s Cheese, The Trethowan Brothers and White Wood Dairy.

Said Luke Maslen, founder of The Cheese Connection: “We’re lucky to have so many incredible cheesemakers here in the UK, supported by an enthusiastic and growing clan of artisan cheese fans, and it’s been my privilege to help connect these two communities as a mobile monger – over cheeseboards, cheesy street food and lots of storytelling. The new shop is the next step in our journey, and we can’t wait to start serving up the some of the very best handmade artisan cheese on the harbourside. Community has always been at the centre of what we do here, so we’re really excited to be joining one of Bristol’s most vibrant food hubs.” For more visit thecheeseconnection.co.uk