Located in Pinner, north west London, Mouse & Grape is a neighbourhood cheese and wine pairing shop owned by Jessica Summer. The shop followed the success of an Instagram page and here Summer discusses the origins of the brand, the desire for indulgence and her future plans.

Mouse & Grape originally began in 2020 during the pandemic, when my career took an unexpected turn. After working with my family in property management, a brief role at [estate agent] Marsh & Parsons ended due to lockdown. That pause gave me time to reflect and I realised my true passion was cheese and wine. Inspired by a conversation with my fiancé and Holly Tucker’s podcast, Conversations of Inspiration, I launched Mouse & Grape on Instagram in July 2020 to share my love for pairing.

After the Instagram page took off, I launched a website in December 2021. It offers curated hampers across the UK and the response was overwhelming, especially at Christmas. To gain more hands-on knowledge, I took a 10-month role at La Fromagerie, completed my Academy of Cheese Level 2, and was thrilled to be a finalist in the Young Cheesemonger of the Year Awards, which brought added credibility to the brand. I’ve also had the privilege of serving as a judge for Great Taste and several cheese and wine competitions. Press trips to France and Italy have been other highlights, adding inspiration to everything Mouse & Grape offers

We opened the Mouse & Grape shop in November 2024. Opening the shop has been a significant milestone, made possible through a combination of business revenue and family support. It’s been amazing, though a bit of a whirlwind. It’s surreal seeing friends, family, industry professionals and – most magically – strangers who really love the concept of pairing cheese and wine here. It’s been an incredible start, and I’m really pleased to see my hard work paying off.

We specialise in artisan cheeses, small-producer wines, and a selection of accompaniments. Nuts, crisps, chutneys, fudge and chocolates are all perfect for pairing. You can pop in for a bottle of wine and some cheese to take home or stay to enjoy wine by the glass and cheeseboards. We have a diverse selection of European, British and New World wines.

We also plan to introduce an events element. We’ll host pairing evenings and offer experiences for two – perfect as a gift. While our shop is intimate, we’re also planning to hold larger tastings at external venues, and we’ll have a cheese and wine club to bring our community together.

Both online and in-store, Mouse & Grape is all about indulgence with quality. There’s a strong demand for cheese and wine. People are excited to have a place dedicated to this experience, and nothing quite like Mouse & Grape exists in north west London, which makes it a very special addition to the area.

I’m incredibly excited about the future. Mouse & Grape is pursuing ambitious growth targets, aiming to exceed £120,000 in sales across its online and event channels this year, excluding the shop. For the shop itself, the focus is on maximising income, with formal targets to be set after six months of trading.

I have big goals and a fantastic team around me, so the future feels full of possibility.