“It is with a heavy heart that we have decided not to renew our lease and to close Harper & Blohm,” the team behind Brunswick’s beloved chapel of cheese wrote in a statement.

The physical store will shut this Saturday, followed by the online store the following Saturday. It’s the end of an era for the business, which has been trading for eight years.

Cheesemonger Olivia Sutton first opened Harper & Blohm in Essendon in 2014, but it quickly outgrew the space, moving to a bigger site in Brunswick in 2018. But the pressures of the past year have been immense.

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“This hasn’t been an easy decision to make but, for us, 2022 has proved to be the most challenging year yet. The ongoing disruptions caused by the inconsistent supply of products, ongoing price increases, lack of foot traffic on Sydney Road and the general level of uncertainty in the market have created the perfect storm for us.

“The relentless stress of working in daily crisis-management mode for 2.5 years has also proven to be too great, and has taken a heavy toll on our physical and mental health.”

In its almost decade-long tenure, Harper & Blohm has become one of the city’s favourite cheese destinations, stocked with a superb selection of local and international cheeses (from traditional clothbound cheddars, to semi-hard brine-washed varieties, to hard ewe’s-milk cheeses, and beyond). There were also topnotch accompaniments and cheese toasties worth crossing the city for, while its discounted two-kilo buckets of Meredith goat’s cheese made waves in 2020.

“We would like to say a huge thank you to all the cheesemongers (past and present) for their hard work, passion and dedication over the years,” the statement went on. “And a heartfelt thank you to all our loyal customers – near and far – for your continued support for the past eight years through all the ups and downs. Too many highlights to mention, but we’ve enjoyed getting to know you, and your cheese preferences, along the way.”

Harper & Blohm is closing its Brunswick store this Saturday August 27 and its online store next Saturday September 3.

harperandblohm.com