British Cheese? Well, there is Scottish Cheddar, English Cheddar, Welsh Cheddar, Irish Cheddar, Red Leicester, Wensleydale and Stilton for Christmas. Anything else? Er, yes actually, load of it - though you won’t necessarily find it at Tesco’s. If you’re looking for the real thing, look no further, for just round the corner from Grassmarket you will find this shop full of cheeses you may not necessarily have heard of, but which - as your nose will tell you - are definitely worth a bite.

One of my favorite shops in town, IJ Mellis has a big selection of cheeses mainly from Britain, and a changing selection of European soft and hard cheeses as well. Their selection from Scotland and Northern England are especially well worth checking out.

A really great feature of the shop is that all of the cheese is labeled as to whether it is vegetarian and which are organic. Of course labels also include origin, whether cow, goat, or sheep, and tasting notes.

Finally - and most importantly - the staff are really friendly, totally knowledgeable and let you try any thing you want! I always think I’ll go in and get a taste of something and then stroll on - but I always end up buying a lot! Be warned!

brilliant place to go well worth the effort

I J Mellis on Victoria Street is a fantastic cheesemonger. They have such a huge range of cheeses and the staff will always help you find anything you're looking for. You usually get a taste of the cheese first too, so you can really feel like you are riding the "cheese whale". You will walk away with the cheese of your dreams. Delicious.

Wow, if you love cheese then you have to visit!!! I haven't came across a cheesemongers with such a choice...You will be absoluitely overwhelmed...I'm not sure when this dates back to but I believe it is a family business and they have been around for years. A rather strong stench as you walk in but absolutely worth it when you get home and tuck in. You can literally get anything you want and many I didn't recognise. You have to go...