Dziugas cheese shop

Džiugas plans to open cheese shops in and around London

A major Lithuanian cheese brand is poised to open a chain of ‘cheese cafés’ in and around London as it seeks to gain a foothold in the UK.

Džiugas is owned by Zemaitijos Pienas - one of the largest dairy companies in the Baltic - and already has eight Džiugashouse-branded coffee shops in the region. It plans to open its first UK store within the M25 next year.

The shops will sell Džiugas and other cheeses, as well as chocolate and ice cream, produced by Zemaitijos Pienas.

The shops would showcase products to consumers and act as demonstration areas for Džiugas to market to retailers, said a Džiugas spokesman. “The coffee shops allow Džiugas to get the brand established in a region.”

Džiugas plans to open several further cafés in the UK, though it would not say how many. Earlier this year, it set up a dedicated UK sales office and next month it will kick off its first UK trade marketing campaign.

The company, which is seeking listings for the hard cheese, claims it has a flavour profile of “sweet meadow hay”. The cheese is sold at 12, 18, 24, 36 and 48 months’ maturity.