Classic British cheeses – Colston Bassett Stilton, Cheshire and Mongomery’s Cheddar – have been particularly badly hit by this loss of export market. The consequences are tangible. “We’ve got thousands of wheels that right now don’t have homes. We are thinking about where to go with it. It’s a similar story with Stichelton. It’s tasting so good right now, it makes you weep. That’s the mind-bending part for me. I went through and tasted them with Gareth. This cheese is magnificent. Any other time we would not be able to keep it on the shelves.”

“One of the outcomes of this situation is that lots of businesses like ours are having to pivot,” says Jason Hinds, Sales Director and Joint Owner, Neal’s Yards Dairy. “That’s a commonly used word at the moment,” he observes wryly. “With supplying restaurants going to zero in 48 hours, our mail-order service has grown dramatically. We were lucky we had one. A lot of businesses didn’t and are now having to create an ecommerce department which is a difficult thing to do, I can tell you.” One of the things Neal’s Yard Dairy have done is team up with Natoora (a fresh produce business that supplied restaurants). “They offer our cheese with their produce so have more things to sell and if people can buy a bit of cheese in their veg delivery, it’s convenient for the consumer and it relieves some of the pressure on deliveries.” The company’s vans that formerly delivered to restaurants are now delivering to retail customers in London, with a Dairy Box containing provisions like bread, eggs and yoghurt as well as cheese seeing a “massive uptake”. Neal’s Yard Dairy closed the Covent Garden shop as it was too narrow for social distancing, but the Borough shop on Park Street and their Bermondsey Spa shop are open. “We’ve re-organised the shops so only two people work there at one time and only two customers are being served at one time.” Despite adapting to the situation as best as the company could, some staff at Neal’s Yard Dairy have had to be furloughed. “It’s a thing I never thought in my career I’d have to do, but there’s not enough work to do as sales have been decimated. That day that we had those conversations with the staff with the staff being furloughed was the most difficult day I’ve had. It was moving how supportive and understanding they were about these decisions that we’re having to make for the company’s survival, our future. It made me proud to work with the people that we spoke to.” It’s not only their staff that Jason and David are thinking of and deeply concerned about, but the cheesemakers. For years, often decades, Neal’s Yard Dairy have worked closely with the cheesemakers whose cheeses they sell. Faced with this acute situation, they are working closely with them to prioritise those whose cheese stocks need moving urgently, using discounted prices and focussing marketing communications to try and shift stock as quickly as possible.