Paxton & Whitfield
Historic British cheesemonger known for traditional cheeses, specialist service, and a long association with royal warrants.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
Paxton & Whitfield is a historic British cheesemonger and specialist food retailer whose documented business history dates to 1797, with commercial roots reaching back to a market shop in Aldwych in 1742. The business is associated particularly with the traditional British cheese trade and with the specialist retail culture of London’s St James’s district. Its principal shop is at 93 Jermyn Street, a location the company has occupied since moving there in 1894. The business has also operated shops outside London, including locations associated with Chelsea, Canterbury, and Bath; the available historical account specifically states that the current owner renamed existing shops in Stratford-upon-Avon and Bath under the Paxton & Whitfield name after acquiring the company in 1992. The retailer’s identity is built around carefully selected cheese, relationships with traditional cheesemakers, and knowledgeable service rather than mass-market grocery distribution. Its range is centered on British and other fine cheeses, including established styles such as Cheddar and Stilton, together with related dairy and specialist food products. The company’s historical role has therefore been both commercial and cultural: it has helped preserve the model of the expert cheesemonger, where provenance, maturation, cutting, presentation, and advice are central to the customer proposition. Paxton & Whitfield’s history includes multiple ownership changes. Fred Moore acquired the company in 1929, after which ownership passed through further purchases or inheritance. Arthur Cunynghame became the owner in 1992. The business endured significant disruption during the Second World War, when shortages of milk and cheese made it difficult to maintain its customary assortment. For a period it operated more like an ordinary grocery shop. After the war, its traditional range was rebuilt progressively through existing relationships with cheesemakers. A major element of the brand’s prestige is its connection with the British royal household. The relationship with the Royal Warrant Holders Association is traced to Queen Victoria in 1850. The future Edward VIII appointed Paxton & Whitfield as a royal warrant holder in 1932, and George VI granted a warrant in 1936. The Queen Mother appointed the company in 1972, Prince Charles granted a warrant in 1988, and Queen Elizabeth II appointed it again in 2002. The company is identified as holding a royal warrant from King Charles III in the referenced account. These appointments reinforce its positioning as a long-established supplier associated with quality and tradition, although the available material does not specify the exact product or service wording of each warrant. The brand also occupies a place in British retail folklore through a quotation attributed to Winston Churchill, describing Paxton & Whitfield as the place where a gentleman buys his cheese alongside named specialists for hats, shoes, shirts, and suits. Whether treated as a piece of commercial lore or a reflection of the company’s historical reputation, the quotation illustrates the retailer’s association with established London craftsmanship and luxury service. Today, Paxton & Whitfield remains an active specialist cheesemonger operating in the United Kingdom, with its Jermyn Street shop serving as the central expression of the brand.
History
Paxton & Whitfield is one of England’s oldest specialist cheesemongers. Although the company is generally dated to 1797, its commercial antecedents are traced to a market shop in Aldwych operating from 1742. The business was originally located at 19 Jermyn Street and moved to its present principal address at 93 Jermyn Street in 1894. The move placed the retailer within a London district long associated with specialist and luxury commerce. The company changed hands several times during the twentieth century. Fred Moore purchased it in 1929, and later ownership passed through further acquisitions or inheritance. Arthur Cunynghame acquired the business in 1992. He already owned cheese shops in Stratford-upon-Avon and Bath, and the available account states that these were renamed Paxton & Whitfield, expanding the branded retail network beyond the historic London shop. The company’s listed locations have included the Jermyn Street headquarters and branches or shops associated with Chelsea, Canterbury, Bath, and Stratford-upon-Avon at different points in its history. The Second World War created an acute challenge for a retailer dependent on milk and cheese supplies. Wartime shortages prevented Paxton & Whitfield from maintaining its normal range, and the business temporarily operated as a conventional grocery store. Following the war, the company gradually rebuilt its specialist assortment by drawing on established contacts with traditional cheesemakers. This recovery helped preserve the retailer’s original identity and its emphasis on carefully sourced, traditionally made cheese. Royal patronage has been an important part of the company’s public identity. Its relationship with the Royal Warrant Holders Association is traced to Queen Victoria in 1850. In 1932, the future Edward VIII, then Prince of Wales, appointed Paxton & Whitfield as a royal warrant holder. His brother and successor, George VI, granted a warrant in 1936. The Queen Mother appointed the company in 1972, Prince Charles granted a warrant in 1988, and Queen Elizabeth II appointed it in 2002. The referenced account also identifies Paxton & Whitfield as holding a warrant from King Charles III. The retailer’s reputation has also been reinforced by a quotation attributed to Winston Churchill, which places Paxton & Whitfield among a set of established London specialists for gentleman’s clothing and accessories. The quotation’s significance lies in the way it presents the cheesemonger as an institution of traditional British retail rather than merely a food shop. In its current form, Paxton & Whitfield remains an active United Kingdom specialist retailer. Its proposition is based on a broad selection of fine cheeses, traditional British styles, related dairy products, and knowledgeable service. The available sources do not provide detailed current financial information, employee figures, or a complete contemporary store list, so those aspects are not stated here.
- 2002
Royal warrant granted by Queen Elizabeth II
[1]Queen Elizabeth II appointed Paxton & Whitfield as a royal warrant holder.
- 1992
Arthur Cunynghame acquired the company
[1]Arthur Cunynghame took ownership and later aligned existing shops in Stratford-upon-Avon and Bath with the Paxton & Whitfield name.
- 1988
Royal warrant granted by Prince Charles
[1]Prince Charles granted Paxton & Whitfield a royal warrant.
- 1972
Royal warrant granted by the Queen Mother
[1]Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, the Queen Mother, appointed Paxton & Whitfield as one of her royal warrant holders.
- 1936
Royal warrant granted by George VI
[1]King George VI granted the company a royal warrant.
- 1932
Royal warrant granted by the future Edward VIII
[1]The then Prince of Wales appointed Paxton & Whitfield as a royal warrant holder.
- 1929
Fred Moore became owner
[1]Fred Moore purchased the company, beginning a later phase of twentieth-century ownership changes.
- 1894
Move to 93 Jermyn Street
[1]Paxton & Whitfield moved from its original Jermyn Street address to the site of its principal shop at 93 Jermyn Street.
- 1850
Royal warrant relationship traced to Queen Victoria
[1]The company’s relationship with the Royal Warrant Holders Association is traced to the reign of Queen Victoria.
- 1797
Paxton & Whitfield established
[1]The business is conventionally dated to 1797, becoming one of England’s long-established cheesemongers.
Products and positioning
Premium traditional cheesemonger offering specialist cheeses, related dairy products, and expert service through an established British retail heritage.
Cheese
Traditional British cheeses
The core of Paxton & Whitfield’s assortment is traditional British cheese. The retailer is associated with established regional and classic styles, selected and presented through a specialist cheesemonger model. Its historical recovery after wartime shortages depended on relationships with traditional cheesemakers, making producer connections and continuity of supply central to the brand’s identity.
Cheese
Cheddar
Cheddar is identified in the available material as one of Paxton & Whitfield’s flagship offerings. Within the retailer’s specialist proposition, Cheddar represents a major British cheese style offered as part of a broader selection of fine and traditionally made cheeses.
Cheese
Stilton
Stilton is another named flagship offering associated with Paxton & Whitfield. Its presence reflects the company’s focus on recognized British cheese traditions and its role as a specialist retailer serving customers seeking heritage varieties and expert guidance.
Specialist food
Related dairy and specialist food products
Beyond cheese, the business is described as carrying related dairy products and specialist food items. The supplied sources do not provide a complete current product catalogue, so individual additional products are not enumerated.
Brand decisions
1992
Acquisition and retail-name expansionM&ABackground
Arthur Cunynghame acquired Paxton & Whitfield after already owning cheese shops in Stratford-upon-Avon and Bath.
Action taken
He retained the Paxton & Whitfield identity and renamed those shops under the same brand.
Aftermath
The move extended the historic cheesemonger’s branded presence beyond its principal London shop.
- Rebuilding the traditional range after wartime shortagesStrategy
Background
Second World War shortages of milk and cheese prevented the business from maintaining its customary specialist assortment.
Action taken
The company temporarily operated as a regular grocery store and later used existing cheesemaker contacts to restore its traditional range.
Aftermath
The specialist cheesemonger proposition was gradually re-established after the war.
Sources2 sources
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