It is really exciting for us to interview Dan today on the blog because we have a long standing relationship with him following his mountain climbing endeavors to raise money for Man Down. You can read a previous blog post with him here. He has recently commenced a new chapter in his career and has opened a cheese shop in Falmouth! Now we love Dan but we might actually love cheese even more (for John, a creamy Brie, Barnaby is a distinguished Stilton, Jo loves a bit of Cornish Yarg and Jess enjoys a classic cheddar). So imagine our delight at getting the chance to interview the King of Cheese himself. Over to Dan…
What made you set up The Cheese and Compass?
A lot of people know me for my mountaineering. However I recently visited a Yorkshire town and saw there was a huge queue for a shop so I joined the queue not knowing what it was, and it turned out to be a cheese shop. I thought this is what Falmouth needs, it would be brilliant! I got 3 jobs and worked really hard, I even went to France to learn about cheese!
Lots of people end up with bank loans or help from their parents, however it’s just been me working 3 jobs to do it and it’s now turned into my full time job. A love of mountain climbing turned into a love of cheese! It was a huge gamble but if I can pay my rent and bills I’m happy. I’ve been in jobs before where I haven’t been happy so that’s what matters most. And I love talking about the products we have!
It can be stressful running your own business but I would prefer this stress. I love cheese. I adore talking about it and locals and visitors get excited when they visit - this really is my dream shop!
Why did you name it The Cheese and Compass?
I was looking for a bit of inspiration online and I started typing in things like “cheese and waves” – sea related terms. I wanted it to be nautical as it’s on the pier, then on page 4 of google there was a cool photo of two old sailors with a plotting chart and a compass eating cheese. I thought that was amazing - The Cheese and Compass it was! I designed my own logo which is an old sailor with a compass eating a piece of cheese.
Tell us about the cheese shop - what can people expect?
The shop is on the Prince of Wales pier. It’s small but if you’re a cheese lover it has everything you need. I stock 60% Cornish cheese and 40% European and British. I don’t want to make it into a deli but I have begun bringing in Serrano ham and crackers from Spain to make it a proper cheese experience. Anything you can find on a cheese board I stock here - cheeses, chutneys, crackers, crisps… it’s a cheese heaven!
I sell takeaway boxes and I also send in the post as well (last week I posted two to Scotland and one to Essex). I create cheese hampers for special occasions eg Mother’s Day, Christmas, Easter etc. It was also really important to me that people can sample the cheeses. I have tasters on the top and encourage people to try before they buy. When I visited the shop in Yorkshire I wanted to try local bits and they weren’t forthcoming so I knew I would change that part of the experience in Falmouth. If you’re going to spend £8 or £9 on cheese that you don’t like, it’s a waste so being able to try before you buy avoids that.
I don’t think Falmouth has a cheese shop so there is a real wedge in the market. What made you go for a slice? ( (excuse the cheesy puns)
There are places that sell cheese but not a dedicated cheese shop. I think I am the first ever dedicated cheesemonger in Falmouth. Unfortunately the rent in Falmouth is too expensive so bringing it onto the main street wouldn’t be viable. However, I can afford it as I’m on the pier and I love the location. When tourists come off the ferry from Flushing or St Mawes, the cheese shop is the first thing they see – I love that their first stop when arriving in Falmouth is an independent shop!
What about the climbing? Will this still be happening? Or raising money and awareness for men’s mental health?
I had to take a year out from the climbing as I had some stomach problems. This Monday will actually be my first time in a year and a half going back to the gym, then I’ll be back to climbing again. Slowly but surely. I’m going to be heading back to Morocco where I do a lot of training then hopefully do one last push in Nepal to raise money for Man Down which I’m passionate about supporting.
What do you love most about Falmouth and what do you think is next for the town?
I love how close everything is to the sea. The sea is important to me, I was on the lifeboat crew here. I would be excited to see Falmouth going in the same direction as Porthleven and St Ives – more interesting and independent. I got to turn the Christmas lights on in Falmouth, it will always be very special to me.
I think it’s a bit sad what has happened to the town. I would rather not have empty shops but some of the shops aren’t very inspiring. However, whenever I see independent shops I feel excited. But the rent and rates are too high and to have a new business here is hard. I looked at a premises prior to The Pier but they wanted 4 months rent up front, it’s simply not feasible. However, The property on The Pier is run by Cornwall Council who helped me to secure it for The Cheese and Compass. I would love to see Falmouth be more accessible to local businesses, what more could you want than what Falmouth offers? A brilliant community and the sea surrounding me!
I have made lots of new friends because of the cheese shop - I’ve met sailors from France visiting to discuss all things fromage! And now the shop is on Google, more and more people are finding me. I have a lovely regular lady in her eighties who comes in each week for her Yarg. Without the cheese shop, she and I would never have met - it’s incredible.
Lastly, we have to ask - what is your favourite cheese?
It depends what mood I’m in. I’m going to have to be political here and choose both a local and European cheese – I would say Cornish Blue and Roquefort Papillon.
Well we think it all sounds wonderful, we will have one of everything to go! The shop is open Tuesday to Sunday 10am - 4pm (open until 5pm from April). Cheese takeaway boxes are £3.50 with cheese starting from as little as £10 up to £100. Hampers are £6.50 then you can mix and match what you put in. A huge thank you to Dan for having us, we have had a wonderful time interviewing him and cannot wait to see what is the next chapter for the cheese shop. For more information on The Cheese and Compass, you can find Dan on Instagram @thecheeseandcompass
