Sussex Charmer sales rose sharply after Waitrose Christmas advert; Keira Knightley and Joe Wilkinson return for festive sequel

Bookham Harrison Farms makes the cheese in Rudgwick, near Horsham, on the Surrey–Sussex border. In last year’s four-minute advert, The Perfect Gift, Knightley and Wilkinson’s character Phil meet at a Waitrose deli counter and discover they both love Sussex Charmer.

Managing director Rob Bookham said: “We saw a sharp increase in sales following last year’s Waitrose advert and saw these sales stay strong during 2026.

"We are delighted that Phil and Keira return in this years advert and have seen articles last week mentioning Sussex Charmer in many publications including The New York Times, which is crazy!

“We at Bookham Harrison Farms, the makers of Sussex Charmer cheese, are sending our heartiest congratulations to Phil and Keira.

"Last Christmas we were delighted to see them meet over their joint love for our cheese at the Waitrose deli counter in The Perfect Gift Christmas Ad.

“This Christmas, Keira very nearly tied the knot with the wrong man. Luckily, our Phil succeeded in changing her mind by once again cooking for her, proving that today the way to a woman’s heart is through her stomach.

"After preparing a beef wellington for her in The Perfect Gift 2, Keira came to her senses and chose the Sussex charmer over her self-obsessed fiancé, Hugo Bunty-Griffin. Phil’s love for cooking for her with quality ingredients is clearly something she valued as a sign of his true love.”

Mr Bookham said Sussex Charmer is a ‘unique mature cheddar’.

"And, in the case of Phil and Keira, clearly the cheese of love,” he added.

"In addition to being available in Waitrose, you can find it in many farm shops and delis throughout the country. With a long shelf-life, it really does make the perfect gift for Christmas.

"A popular ingredient with pubs and restaurants across the land, it could help you, too, create magic in your kitchen.

"You can also buy it online at www.bookhamharrison.co.uk , but perhaps more importantly, will there be a follow-up to the Phil and Keira story? At Bookham Harrison Farms we certainly hope so!”

The family business grew out of a partnership between the Harrison dairy farmers and the Bookham cheesemakers.

The two families first worked together on Twineham Grange, a vegetarian Italian-style hard cheese, before developing Sussex Charmer. Their signature cheese combines methods used to make traditional mature cheddar and Italian-style hard cheese. It is matured for 15 months and is Vegetarian Society Approved.

Sussex Charmer won best British cheddar at the 2017 Quality Food Awards and best in show for food service and catering at the International Cheese and Dairy Awards in both 2023 and 2024.

The company did not disclose sales figures. It says Sussex Charmer is stocked by Waitrose and sold through farm shops and delis across the UK, as well as through its own website.

In this year’s sequel, The Perfect Gift 2, released on November 10, Keira is about to marry Hugo Bunty-Griffin, played by Alex Hassell, when Phil tries to win her back with a homemade beef Wellington.

According to the Speciality Food Magazine, Sussex Charmer is a ‘cheese like no other’ – created by combining the recipes of a traditional mature Cheddar and an Italian-style hard cheese.

The food experts added: “It is the marriage of two very separate cheese production methods, each one ancient and prestigious in its own right.”