The cheese category is especially sensitive to the effects of climate change because of regional ageing standards, cow health, and pasture quality. This sensitivity affects not only the cheese itself but also the cheesemongers and retailers who handle it.
The UK’s national weather agency has reported that 2026 has seen an unprecedented surge in heatwave events, with climate change making the summer’s average temperature roughly 130 times more probable than it would be naturally.
Cheese Retailers Adapt to Climate Change
Independent cheese retailers face the challenge of protecting their stock, maintaining quality, and managing energy costs while dealing with increasingly volatile climate events.
The frequency of heatwaves raises concerns about how these retailers can adapt to temperature changes and the resulting effects on food availability and quality.
A key concern for cheese retailers is maintaining cheese quality during hot weather. Ensuring cheese displays are aesthetically appealing while controlling temperature and humidity is vital to satisfy functional requirements and consumer demands.
Mia Cowie, who leads cheese curation at The Big Cheese Company, explains that aged hard cheeses such as Parmigiano Reggiano handle warmer temperatures better than others, thanks to their lower water content. Still, extended heat and damp conditions can degrade their texture, appearance, and overall quality.
The Big Cheese Company’s display concept was designed with climate change and rising temperatures in mind, housing cheeses in a climate-controlled gallery behind glass. This allows the company to control the surrounding environment rather than refrigerating the entire store.
During hot weather, the company’s hard cheeses are returned to the cheese gallery when the store reaches 25 °C, and the team will also move them back if they feel the conditions or the cheese require it. This approach can help independent cheesemongers and retailers preserve the quality and organoleptic properties of their selections.
Protecting Cheese from Climate Events
Storage rooms are engineered based on expected outside temperatures, and a cheese’s resistance to climate shifts depends heavily on its surroundings. Stacy Horseman, marketing director at Stancold, states that the room’s design plays a key role in preserving the product’s integrity.
When outdoor temperatures exceed the system’s original specifications, the cooling units must operate longer and harder, leading to increased energy use and faster equipment deterioration. Proper insulation and precise construction are essential to isolate indoor conditions from external heat.
Vhari Russell, founder of Food Marketing Experts, notes that extreme heat can have a significant impact on cheese, but the problem begins long before the product reaches the retail floor. Extreme heat stresses dairy cows and reduces milk yields.
A 2025 study found that extreme heat can cut milk yields by up to 10%, with effects lasting for more than 10 days. Concerns over reduced yields, supply, and quality are driving new technologies and applications to manage the on-farm impact of climate change.
Retailers don’t need to overhaul their facilities to cope with rising temperatures. Instead, they can track temperature swings, assess insulation quality, and maintain refrigeration systems to optimize efficiency without major investments.
As heatwaves grow more common, shops may need to change how they store and showcase cheese. Reducing display quantities during extreme heat, frequently restocking, and moving sensitive cheeses back to proper storage when necessary can help maintain quality and cut down on spoilage.
Strengthening supplier relationships can also help retailers predict supply chain disruptions, as heat stress on livestock and higher production costs may limit cheese availability or raise prices. Open dialogue with producers and distributors can mitigate risks and ease adaptation to climate shifts.
