Migrating a cheese and deli store from WooCommerce to Shopify (2026)

Online cheese and deli retail is a specialist, high-value category that has grown significantly since the pandemic shift to online grocery. Independent cheesemongers, farm shops, and deli producers now sell direct to consumers via ecommerce. Migrating to Shopify suits the product mix well, though chilled logistics, weight-based pricing, and food compliance require careful configuration.

Product categories

• British cheeses: Cheddar, Stilton, Wensleydale, Brie-style, fresh cheeses. PDO/PGI protected designations.
• Continental cheeses: French, Italian, Spanish, Swiss imports.
• Charcuterie and cured meats: Prosciutto, salami, chorizo, paté. Country of origin, allergens.
• Antipasti and olives: Marinated products. Allergens (sulphites, celery in marinades).
• Crackers and accompaniments: Biscuits, chutneys, quince paste. Allergens (gluten).
• Cheese subscription boxes: Monthly curated selection. Recurring billing.
• Hampers and gift boxes: Curated selections for gifting occasions.

Food allergen labelling (Natasha's Law)

All pre-packed food for direct sale (PPDS) must comply with UK food allergen labelling requirements:

• Cheese-specific allergens: milk (all cheese), eggs (some washed rind cheeses use egg wash), mustard (marinades)
• Charcuterie: milk (in some sausages), gluten (wheat starch used in some products), sulphites (preserved meats)
• Chutneys and pickles: celery, mustard, sulphur dioxide — common in condiments
• Full ingredients and allergen information on every product page — legally required for online food sale

product.metafields.food.allergens = "Contains: Milk. May contain: Eggs."
product.metafields.food.ingredients = "Pasteurised cow's milk, salt, starter cultures, rennet"
product.metafields.food.milk_type = "Cow / Sheep / Goat / Buffalo"
product.metafields.food.pasteurised = "true"                 // important for pregnant customers
product.metafields.food.rennet_type = "Traditional / Vegetarian / Vegan"
product.metafields.food.storage_temp_c = "5"                 // refrigerator temperature
product.metafields.food.shelf_life_days = "14"               // from dispatch

Weight-based pricing for cut cheese

Many cheesemongers sell cheese by approximate weight (e.g. "approx 250g"). Shopify doesn't natively handle weight-based pricing well:

• Fixed weight portions: sell as fixed 200g, 400g, 500g portions — simplest approach, consistent pricing
• Approximate weight: sell as "approx 250g" and adjust final invoice — requires manual fulfillment or a weight-based pricing app
• Whole wheels: sell by the unit; note approximate weight and price per kg in description
• Weight-based pricing apps: Weighit, Infinite Options — allow weight-adjusted pricing at order time

product.metafields.cheese.weight_approx_g = "250"
product.metafields.cheese.price_per_kg = "24.00"             // for transparency
product.metafields.cheese.cut_to_order = "true"              // each piece cut fresh
product.metafields.cheese.whole_wheel_weight_kg = "4.5"
product.metafields.cheese.age_months = "18"                  // maturation period

PDO and PGI designations

Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) and Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) are retained in UK law post-Brexit as UK GI (Geographical Indication):

• Stilton: PDO — only made in specific counties (Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire) from local milk
• West Country Farmhouse Cheddar: PDO — specific region and process
• Cornish Clotted Cream: PGI — made in Cornwall from local milk
• Note PDO/PGI on product pages — it's a quality and authenticity signal customers value
• Do not make PDO/PGI claims for products that don't qualify

product.metafields.cheese.designation = "PDO / PGI / TSG / None"
product.metafields.cheese.region = "Somerset / Derbyshire / Yorkshire"
product.metafields.cheese.country_of_origin = "UK"

Chilled shipping configuration

Cheese requires temperature-controlled delivery (chilled, typically 2–7°C transit):

• Specialist chilled couriers: APC Overnight (chilled network), DHL Food Logistics, ParcelForce chilled — higher cost than ambient carriers
• Insulated packaging: polystyrene box + gel ice packs — cost must be factored into shipping rate
• Delivery day restriction: chilled orders often restricted to Tuesday–Thursday for safe delivery before a weekend
• Shopify shipping profile for chilled products: separate rate (e.g. "Chilled delivery — £8.95") with appropriate carrier
• Delivery day instructions: add order note field or courier delivery day selector at checkout

Cheese subscription boxes

Monthly cheese subscription boxes are a strong recurring revenue model for cheesehouses:

• Recharge or Shopify native subscriptions: monthly box with automated recurring billing
• Curated selection: note the selection process — "Our cheesemonger curates a different selection each month"
• Pause and skip: important for subscriber retention — Recharge supports this natively
• Gift subscriptions: 3-month or 6-month prepaid gift — popular Christmas purchase

Post-migration checklist for cheese and deli stores

• Allergens: full labelling on all products (Natasha's Law); milk, gluten, sulphites flagged
• Pasteurised status: noted on all cheese products (important for pregnant customers)
• PDO/PGI designations: noted on qualifying products
• Shelf life: from-dispatch shelf life noted on all chilled products
• Chilled shipping: specialist courier rate configured; delivery day restriction communicated
• Subscription: monthly cheese box subscription app configured
• Weight pricing: fixed portions or weight-based pricing app for cut cheese