I. J. Mellis

A few more visits later and I love this place even more. They helped me curate a varied and gorgeous cheese platter for our Hogmanay do that even friends who aren’t «into cheese» devoured and raved about. Plus the onion marmalade they sell which I am now sort of addicted to as it goes well with not just cheese but all kinds of things (burgers especially). Although they were out of it on my visit today, they also stock a Hebridean naturally peat-​smoked sea salt that has been a great addition to several dishes I’ve prepared.
The tiny store can get a bit packed during peak times and the service might seem a little slow to some, but the staff there really does seem to want to be thorough when answering questions and helping customers.
Whether the shop has been packed or I’ve been the only customer, I’ve received good service and of course love the selection of cheeses and other treats.

Simply the place to go for cheese in Edinburgh, decent range of local and foreign cheeses. Would have been 5 stars but each time I’ve gone in customer service a bit off-​handish.

This is the most incredible cheese shop I’ve ever seen. Lots of fresh selections of Scottish cheese. Loch Arthur Cheddar & Lanark Blue are the best. Warning: Use of these cheeses will create future cravings.

This review should probably just be the word «cheese» written over and over until it ceases to make sense. As that is what Mellis do, solely, and extremely well: cheese. Cheese, cheesy, cheese.
You’ll smell this shop before you see it (cheeeeeesecheese), and on first walking in the smell is so much stronger than you had prepared for. (CHEESE!) Small, and cold, but the perfect temperature and setting for a massive table of cheese, with a small counter to pay, a small fridge for cooler cheese, and a few shelves for biscuits and oatcakes.
The shop assistants are happy to give guidance. I procured 3 cheese when I last visited. One by recommendation (Lanarkshire Blue), and two as a random picking of pot luck. The goats cheese was very mild (too mild for my tastes) but the Smoked Ardahag cheese was very unusual, very delicious (in a pongy sort of way) and everyone at the dinner party seemed to agree. (One person said it tasted like marmite, and in hindsight I can see what she meant).
So in conclusion, cheese cheese cheese. CHEESE!

Wonderfully knowledgable cheesemonger. Try all the Scottish cheeses.

We love this cheese shop! It was a stop on the Eat Walk Edinburgh Walking Tour. At that time we sampled some of the best tasting cheeses either of us had eaten. The young man who guided us through our tasting was terrific! He has a passion for his job and it showed. We went back the next day for some more of the lovely local sheep cheese. Yes it might be expensive but we paired it with some bread, wine and fruit for a nice supper… our least expensive meal in the UK so far.
Victoria Street is a favorite as well. Drop into the DemiJohn shop for a unique taste of fruit infused vodkas, sherrys, oils and vinegars.

Does Edinburgh really need three branches of I.J. Mellis? If you’ve sampled the cheese they sell, you’ll know the answer is YES.
Established in 1993, this picturesque shop is the original I.J. and is located halfway down the charming Victoria Street in the Old Town. It’s tiny compared to delis like Clark’s and Valvona & Crolla but they manage to pack a lot of character and flavour into the space. On a weekend it’s usually crammed with tourists ooohing and aaahing at the produce but in the week, its easy to walk in and pick up supplies for a last minute picnic.
On those rare occasions, my basket usually includes a campagne loaf, rustica olives, grilled artichokes, parma ham, Montgomery Cheddar, Ragstone goats cheese and some Mrs Kirkham Lancashire.

Oh. My. God. Not in an annoyng Janice-​from-​Friends sort of way, but I guarantee that those will be the first words out of your mouth once you’ve stepped in here and swallowed back your drool. And no, I’m not over-​exaggerating!
I’ve never seen so many cheeses crammed into one tiny shop. There’s a huge section of blue cheeses (but they’re kept separately from all the others in case all you people who are allergic to penicillin were wondering), a huge section of local cheeses as well as another section of more exotic ones.
They are definitely pricey. Prices range from £20-£30 per kilo, so it’s definitely not the sort of place you go to get your cheese on toast ingredients, but for a special occasion (or if you’re just loaded) it’s perfect. But the friendly service eases the pain on your purse — not only did the woman that served me know exactly what she was on about (I didn’t know there were so many flavours you could get out of one tiny bite of cheese?!) but she also let me try a nibble of as many as I wanted.
If reincarnation exists, I want to be a mouse. Not that I saw any mice in here, just for the record, but if I were a mouse this is where I would try.

You can smell I J Mellis before you see it, which used to be a grievance with me when I was younger. Now that I have grown up a bit and really appreciate fine produce, I have grown to love the aroma that wafts up from this shop on Victoria Street.
I J Mellis specialise in cheeses from Scotland, England and Ireland, and are great at showcasing the cheese that is produced practically on our doorstep (not literally, of course — that would be weird!)
So even though I have never experienced someone stirring dairy produce outside my house in the morning, I have tasted some gorgeous cheese made in Arran, up north and in Ireland. The Ireland cheese in particular is scrumptious — it’s billed as being salty, but I find it gives it flavour. They also sell Scottish outcakes, delicious milk and some deli appetisers.
It’s pricier than going to the supermarket, but then you would expect that from a place with such quality foods. People certainly don’t seem to mind paying extra either, since these cheeses are treats. Great for cooking but also for special occasions — some of the flavours in here would make for a very colourful cheese board indeed! I’d recommend trying the blue cheeses — I was a bit shy of them before I tried I J Mellis since they are typically potent, but some of the Scottish blues sold here give you a good introduction.
You could almost say I J Mellis reeks of quality, but to suggest that would be cheesy (!)

A cheesemonger? I didn’t even know that’s what cheese specialists called themselves. But, I love cheese, so this little find was perfect for me.
Inside this whiffy shop, you’ll find cheese. Lots, and lots of cheese. I think Scottish cheeses are very underrated, and I absolutely adore Clava Brie having tasted it at a very swank dinner party at Christmas, so I was over the moon to find it here. As well as cheese you can also buy fine foods like meats and preserves, which are all of the highest quality, which is reflected in the price.

Cheese lovers rejoice!
As if Victoria Street didn’t have enough shops to satisfy your taste buds, there’s this amazing small cheese shop I love.
Not only is it located on my favourite street but you can also sample their delicious cheeses as well. Although it’s a bit pricey their quality is excellent and well worth for that special dinner party you may have in mind.(Or just to spoil yourself for the heck of it)
The staff have always been extremely friendly and despite the shops small size it’s crammed with countless cheeses, as well as organic nib bits to go with them, jams and organic chutneys. Keep your eyes peeled for the shops speciality of that day as well.
If you like cheese, just go!

When you’re halfway up Victoria St anyone with a sense of smell will become aware of the strong aroma of cheese, a bijou establishment called Iain Mellis is responsible. This is mecca for cheeselovers — or turophiles if you want to use the correct terminology.
Mellis’s has won a number of prestigious foodie awards and supplies many of Edinburgh’s best restaurants and hotels. It’s easy to see why; there are countless varieties of excellent, quality farmhouse cheeses to choose from and something to suit all tastes, whether you’re looking for something mild and creamy or strong and smelly. The staff are incredibly helpful and will let you sample before you buy, I could easily spend all day in here sampling everything! Given the high quality of the produce, the prices are also quite high, but the old cliché ‘you get what you pay for’ is very much applicable.
If you’re a cheese fan and haven’t been to this shop yet, you are seriously missing out — plan a visit as a matter of urgency!

One word– smelly! Ok, another word– brilliant!
I love cheese and I love IJ Mellis. Fantastic cheeses with staff that really know what they’re talking about. Whether you go in for a stilton or a brie, you’re likely to come out with something you’ve never tried before. Delicious.

Ian Mellis are fantastic. For our wedding last year we didn’t want a bog standard cake so we decides to go for a Cheese cake — we selected 5 rounds of cheese that stacked nicely like a tiered cake and had our florist decorate it with flowers to match our tables.
Paul at Ian Mellis delivered us a big box filled with cheese so we could select what we liked and was very knowledgeable and helpful.
Everyone at the wedding loved our cake — we served it as a 4^th course at the wedding.
The shops around Ed are also lovely!

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!

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…