At aether, we proudly champion local produce in our Dining Experience by Adam Reid. Here we introduce our local supplier Chorlton Cheesemongers, which celebrates dairy products from the British Isles and Ireland. We visited Chorlton Cheesemongers at its premises in South Manchester to speak to manager Chris Hallam about the specialist shop’s background, why the team were so keen to work with aether, and the products they are supplying to the private terminal.  

An independent cheesemongers with a personal approach 

Chorlton Cheesemongers, located in South Manchester suburb Chorlton, has been operating for around four and a half years. The specialist outlet works with small dairies and farms all over the UK and Ireland, with the goal of bringing these independent producers into Manchester and giving them a space.  

Chorlton Cheesemongers deliberately chose a location away from Manchester city centre to focus on establishing a presence within a local community and operating on a personal basis rather than a corporate one. To manager Chris, ‘local’ means much more friendly and supportive relationships with both producers and customers, getting to know them personally. The specialist shares the high street with renowned Chorlton fishmongers Out of the Blue, creating a destination for foodies.  

A shared belief in the importance of quality and personal service 

According to Chris, one of the main reasons Chorlton Cheesemongers was so keen to work with aether came down to the quality of the offering and the personal nature of the experience – values that underpin both the private terminal and the supplier.  

Chris believes that aether and Chorlton Cheesemongers share a common goal of giving people small treats and experiences that make life more pleasurable. These similarities of purpose are evidenced in the teams behind both aether and Chorlton Cheesemongers, with each driven to give their best to customers.  

Chris was also drawn to the idea that, in partnering with a local business, Chorlton Cheesemongers would be able to bring its carefully chosen local producers to a new international customer base of travellers through the private terminal.  

A range of local produce from a specialty supplier 

Chorlton Cheesemongers supplies aether with butter, yoghurt and chutney, all from local, northwest producers. One of the cheesemonger’s flagship products, and a staple of the ingredients it supplies to aether, is Mrs Kirkham’s Lancashire cheese.  

Chris has been working with Graham Kirkham, a third-generation cheesemaker, for years. When crafting his Dining Experience, Adam Reid felt that the rich, buttery, slightly sharp Lancashire cheese was a perfect ingredient for the seeded rye bread with grilled Kirkham's cheese & mushroom, and walnut ketchup. 

Testament to Chorlton Cheesemonger’s local, personalised approach, the Greek yoghurt it supplies – Amalthea – was in fact created by a customer who then began to supply the shop. Together they trialled and taste-tested the product with customers and, when it proved popular, it was added to the range of local produce sold through the cheesemongers.  

A showcase for Manchester and the northwest’s food scene 

Ultimately, Chris sees the aether partnership as an extension of the work the independent cheesemongers was already doing - giving small northwest producers an opportunity to get their products to more customers from Manchester and beyond. The private terminal gives them a national and even international stage.  

Through his Dining Experience, Adam Reid is demonstrating the exciting and innovative food production currently happening in the UK, showcasing what the northwest can produce. Chorlton Cheesemongers, with its specialist, local approach, is a perfect fit for this vision.  

To experience aether’s Dining Experience - complete with Chorlton Cheesemongers produce - for yourself, plan your next trip from Manchester Airport through aether