Independent toolkit Personal consultancy Franchise pathway

From idea to opening

Build a cheese business around the life you want.

Practical guidance, personal support and a clear route forward—whether you want to build your own independent fromagerie or open a Cheese Yard franchise.

Explore your options View the franchise

Since 2013: Real trading experience
2 locations: Knutsford & Poynton
3 formats: Built around your life

3 proven formats,
tailored to your life

Choose your route

How much independence and support do you want?

Start with practical guidance, bring us alongside you, or open with the complete Cheese Yard model.

Self-guided digital resources

Downloadable guides & tools

Start with a free guide, explore your idea with the Starter Pack or move on to the complete Blueprint and calculators.

1
Free download 10 Costly Mistakes to Avoid When Opening a Cheese Shop, Deli or Food-Led Café Download the free guide
2
£59 including VAT The Fromagerie Starter Pack A practical first step for testing your idea, business model and next actions. Buy the Starter Pack
3
£395 including VAT The Fromagerie Blueprint & Calculators The complete self-guided blueprint with editable commercial and operating tools. Buy the Blueprint & calculators

Build it with us

Consultancy & opening support

Practical, personal support for new founders and existing cafés, delis, farm shops and specialist food businesses.

Concept and business-model review
Menu, margin and events support
Hands-on opening guidance
Range, operations and customer-experience support

Discuss your plans

Open the established model

The Cheese Yard franchise

Operate under The Cheese Yard name with the brand, suppliers, training, systems and ongoing relationship behind you.

Established specialist brand
Proven standards and training
Opening and ongoing support

Explore the franchise

Independent support

Choose the right level of guidance.

Start with practical guidance, add Vincent's personal support, or choose a bespoke opening programme for your independent cheese business.

01
£59 including VAT

Starter Pack

A downloadable guide to test your idea before committing significant time or money.

What you receive
- Choose between shop only, shop plus events or shop plus restaurant
- Readiness and lifestyle assessment
- High-level startup cost, income and margin exercises
- Location and supplier starter checklists
- A focused 30-day validation plan
Self-guided: detailed calculators, personal consultation and site-specific advice are not included.
02
£395 including VAT

Toolkit & calculators

The complete self-guided Fromagerie Blueprint with editable commercial and operating tools.

What you receive
- Full Blueprint guide and practical operating procedures
- Editable startup budget, funding, P&L and break-even calculators
- Product, menu and event costing tools
- Range, buying, stock, waste and supplier-planning resources
- Food safety, service, staffing and training guidance
- Marketing, launch roadmap, dashboards and opening checks
Self-guided: personal review, consultation and location-specific opening support are not included.
03
£995 + VAT

Toolkit plus consultation

The complete toolkit plus a personal review of your concept, figures and priorities with Vincent.

What you receive
- Everything in the £395 + VAT Toolkit & Calculators package
- Advance review of your concept and completed figures
- A private 90-minute video consultation with Vincent
- Advice on your model, margins, range, offer and revenue streams
- A personalised written action plan
- One 30-minute follow-up call
Delivered remotely: site visits and ongoing opening support are not included.
04
£3,500 + VAT

Opening support

A bespoke programme for founders who want Vincent alongside them as they prepare to open.

Your programme can include
- Everything in the Toolkit plus Consultation package
- Project scoping and a personalised opening roadmap
- Guidance on format, location, budgets and margins
- Support with range, menu, suppliers and operating systems
- Scheduled review calls through the agreed opening period
- Final launch-readiness review and opening checklist
Bespoke scope: the final fee and timescale are agreed before work begins. Site visits, travel, recruitment and launch-day support are quoted separately where required.

A business shaped around you

Choose the format that fits your life.

A proper fromagerie does not have to follow one fixed model. The right format depends on the hours you want to work, the income you need, the market around you and the kind of customer experience you want to create.

We help you decide what belongs in your business now, what can be phased in later and what you can confidently leave out.

Cheese shop only

A focused specialist retail model built around expert service, tasting and take-home cheese.

Cheese shop plus events

Retail supported by tastings, themed evenings, private bookings and memorable cheese experiences.

Cheese shop plus restaurant

A fuller hospitality model combining specialist retail with a cheese-led food and drink offer.

Independent or franchise?

Two credible routes. One honest choice.

The consultancy is not a disguised franchise sales process. Choose independence when you want your own identity; choose the franchise when you want the complete established model.

What you are choosing

Independent route

Cheese Yard franchise

Brand

Your own name and identity

The Cheese Yard brand

Business model

Established model and standards

Tools and support

Choose the level you need

Structured opening and ongoing support

Suppliers and training

Recommendations and independent decisions

Approved suppliers and franchise training

Ongoing relationship

Optional consultancy

Ongoing franchise relationship

Explore the independent route Explore the franchise

Experience from behind the counter

Advice grounded in a business that actually trades.

Vincent has built The Cheese Yard from an independent Knutsford shop into a cheese-led retail, hospitality, events and gifting business with a second location in Poynton.

The guidance shares the practical thinking behind the model: what to sell, where profit can be made, how experiences create repeat visits and how to shape the business around the life you want.

“This is practical support built from running real shops, serving real customers and learning what makes a cheese-led business work.”

Vincent
Founder, The Cheese Yard

Questions before you begin

Frequently asked questions

If your situation is more specific, use the form below and tell us what you are considering.

Do I need previous cheese or hospitality experience?

No. The Starter Pack helps you understand the decisions involved before you commit, while the higher levels add more detailed tools and personal support. Franchise partners receive structured training as part of the franchise pathway.

Is the independent route part of The Cheese Yard franchise?

No. The independent route is for building a business under your own name. The Cheese Yard name, trademarks, branded assets and trade dress are not included. The franchise is a separate option for people who want to operate the established branded model.

How do I know which business format is right for me?

Start with the life you want the business to support, then consider local demand, premises, investment, required income and your appetite for hospitality. The Starter Pack introduces that decision; consultancy allows us to work through it with you personally.

Can you help an existing café, deli or farm shop?

Yes. Consultancy can focus on offer development, cheese retail, menu and margins, events revenue or the addition of a stronger cheese-led experience to an existing business.

Your next step

Tell us what you are thinking about.

You do not need to have every answer. Share your idea, your location and the kind of support you think you need, and we will point you towards the most useful next step.

Tell us where you are in the process
Choose the support you are interested in
Receive the most relevant next step