I’ve been involved in cheese in the UK since 2004, and there’s no doubt that consumer knowledge and the demand for good quality artisan cheese has grown exponentially during that time. Consumer’s are more aware and keen to support great quality local cheese makers, as well as the vast array of quality cheeses being made across the whole of the UK.
Some company representatives phone calls are avoided at times, not so with Tanny, with his calls time is made for and welcomed by the team partly because of his product knowledge and recommendation, but his genuine enthusiasm is welcome too.
He has gone beyond being the customer point of contact, additionally setting up training opportunities for the teams development in chocolate and cheese tasting where his knowledge is particularly impressive.
Tanny has been integral in building our business product base, even if supply chains are challenged he has a proactive way of communicating and resolving, always offering solutions.
Craig Rowland,
Executive Chef,
The Carnegie Club, Skibo Castle
When I first made the journey to the UK from Pune, near Mumbai in India, in 2003, I never imagined that I would become so immersed in the British cheese industry and gain such satisfaction from it. I was in London doing some bar work when I applied for a job at Isle of Mull Cheese working with Jeff and Chris Reade on the Isle of Mull off the west coast of Scotland. There, on a farm just outside Tobermory, they make the iconic Isle of Mull Cheddar as well as Hebridean Blue. I was hooked and I will always be grateful to the Reades for sharing their passion for cheesemaking with me.
After five years on Mull I felt I wanted to broaden my cheese knowledge and so I returned to London to take up a job at La Fromagerie. This was an opportunity to work with Patricia Michelson and an amazing team of people from both the UK and around Europe, picking up experience in cheesemaking, affinage and retailing. Everyone I worked with shared a love of cheese, and as we enter potentially different times post-Brexit I can’t help but think of those I worked with at La Fromagerie. Anything which inhibits us working with passionate individuals with so many rich experiences from different cultures has to leave a void in our industry.
In 2011 I returned to Scotland, initially working with Clarks Speciality Foods in wholesale but also developing my own business selling to the public.
In the summer of 2017 I returned to Clarks, under their new management team with a brief to engage with both cheesemakers and our wide range of customers encompassing retailers, chefs and consumers. Cheese is the largest and most important category for us at Clarks and drives the whole business strategy. I’m relishing the opportunity of working with top delis and farm shops on one day and Michelin-starred chefs the next. Engaging with the best hotels and restaurants to create the best cheese boards, sharing and exchanging ideas with chefs and front of house staff – it’s something I never tire of.
Please email me at
tanny@tannygill.com