Grate expectations: Stephen left career in IT to open a cheese shop

Proud Yorkshire cheesemonger Stephen Fleming discovered a love of cheese from being a child when his parents used to put it on the table at breakfast time.

- by Louisa Gregson

Stephen Fleming, founder of George & Joseph Cheesemongers, Chapel Allerton, Leeds. Pictures: Simon Hulme

(Simon Hulme)

Over the years his love has grown and the father-of-four radically changed his career from IT to selling cheese in his very own shop.George & Joseph Cheesemongers in Chapel Allerton has been proudly championing Yorkshire producers since opening in 2013, and stocks a wide range of artisan cheeses from across the region and beyond.

Stephen's journey began when he became a member of a cheese club in Leeds after moving to the city.

The club, charmingly named Homage2Fromage, inspired Stephen to take his love of cheese to a new level and he started selling it on market stalls on the side.

He recalls working on a market stall in a Coop car park and getting a huge buzz out of the delight on customers' faces.

"It was visceralseeing people's faces light up tasting cheese and then going through the transaction of buying something delicious," says Stephen.

"I still love that feeling. This inspired the mission for the business to inspire a million love affairs with cheese, bringing people together over an amazing cheese board for good times."

Stephen's background could not have been more different.

"I studied software engineering at university and went on to have a 20 year career in corporate IT culminating as IT director for a top 100 law firm.