FFD How to run a successful cheese counter 2024

HOW TO RUN A SUCCESSFUL CHEESE COUNTER A supplement to

A GUIDE TO IMPROVING YOUR SKILLS

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2024 Edition | gff.co.uk

INCLUDES HINTS AND TIPS ON: DISPLAY RANGE CHEESE CARE CUTTING EQUIPMENT WRAPPING SELLING PROMOTIONS PAIRINGS

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WELCOME & CONTENTS It’s probably safe for me to cast aside any remaining fears that a practical publication about cheese retailing might be an unwanted addition to FFD’s roster. This is the third edition of this guide, after all – with both previous print runs snapped up some time ago at training courses, B2B food events and trade shows.

While much of the advice remains the same in this guide, we’ve brought several sections up to date and introduced the latest perspectives and practices – all informed by the recently updated Retail Cheese course organised by our publisher, the Guild of Fine Food.

The fact remains that there are lots of businesses selling cheese that could improve.

And there are plenty of people at the beginning of their retail journey that need an easy reference manual.

Whether you’re an experienced retailer or a counter newbie, you should find something here to help you sell more cheese.

Michael Lane Editor, Fine Food Digest EDITORIAL editorial@gff.co.uk Editor: Michael Lane Deputy editor: Tanwen Dawn-Hiscox Art director: Mark Windsor Consultant: Emma Young ADVERTISING advertise@gff.co.uk Sales director: Sally Coley Advertisement sales: Becky Stacey, Jenny Homeshaw GENERAL ENQUIRIES info@gff.co.uk 01747 825200 gff.co.uk

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A supplement to Fine Food Digest

A supplement to

CHOOSE YOUR COUNTER

5

EQUIPMENT CHECKLIST

7

SELECTING A RANGE

8

DISPLAY & MERCHANDISING

10

CHEESE CARE & HYGIENE

13

CUTTING

14

WRAPPING

17

HOW TO SELL

18

UPSELLING & PROMOTIONS

20

CHEESE MATCHING

22

LE GRUYÈRE AOP AGE PROFILES

23

MESSAGE FROM LE GRUYÈRE AOP

Le Gruyère AOP remains an ardent supporter of independent retailers, who are vital as champions and sellers of our cheese.

We’re delighted to be sponsoring a thrid edition of this guide and helping to boost the knowledge of both budding cheesemongers and seasoned professionals.

Helen Daysh Marketing Manager UK, Le Gruyère AOP Published by The Guild of Fine Food Ltd Fine Food Digest is published 11 times a year and is available on subscription for £50 p.a. inc P&P.

in association with

© The Guild of Fine Food Ltd 2024. Reproduction of whole or part of this magazine without the publisher’s prior permission is prohibited. The opinions expressed in articles and advertisements are not necessarily those of the editor or publisher.

Printed by Blackmore, Dorset

HOW TO RUN A SUCCESSFUL CHEESE COUNTER 3

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CHOOSE YOUR COUNTER First things first. Look at the space you are working in.

Think about the layout of the shop and what size and style of chilled display will work best for you.

CLIMATE-CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENTS AND CHEESE ROOMS

Creating an air-conditioned cheese room allows retailers to build eye-catching displays, incorporating whole cheeses. The openness of the set-up immerses customers and offers lots of opportunity for engaging with staff.

That said, it is potentially costlier than a standard counter and the chilled environment will not appeal to all customers.

Unless it can be sectioned off, this format makes it trickier to offer a full deli range or a café service with seating.

UPRIGHTS AND MULTIDECKS

Upright chillers with shelves are the most space efficient and can be used to create the striking ‘wall of cheese’ effect seen in a number of the country’s top retailers.

If deployed on the shopfloor, multideck fridges encourage customers to browse but they also tempt people into handling the cheese.

Some multideck systems can use quite heavy draughts so cheese needs to be well-wrapped to prevent it drying out.

SERVEOVERS

Manageable and versatile enough to handle more than cheese, this classic deli set-up is the most common configuration.

For retailers who find the glass frontage a bit too imposing for shoppers, there is the flat well fridge, which brings the customer closer to the cheese but maintains the traditional divide between them and counter staff.

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HOW TO RUN A SUCCESSFUL CHEESE COUNTER 5

Even those that like a strong cheese will enjoy the subtle flavours and the smooth texture of this little cheese.

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EQUIPMENT CHECKLIST 1 2

6 5

3

4

7

1 Scales 2 Cheese wire 3 Waxed / greaseproof paper 4 Kitchen knives (various sizes for sampling and serrated blades for portioning softer styles) A supplement to Fine Food Digest

5 Cheese plane (for sampling) 6 Plastic wrap 7 Specialist knives. Rocker knife for large format Alpine and Dutch cheeses as well as chisel set for hard Italian cheeses.

HOW TO RUN A SUCCESSFUL CHEESE COUNTER 7

SELECTING A RANGE There’s a wealth of choice out there and that’s just in the UK, let alone what the Continent has to offer. Here’s a guide to selecting a workable product line-up.

HOW MANY?

The amount of cheeses you should sell will depend on several factors. Some to consider are the size of your counter, your turnover, proficiency of your staff and if you have anywhere like a restaurant/bar to turnover any excess stock. There is no magic number but the sweet spot for most cheese shops seems to be between the 3060 mark.

TICK THE BOXES

Can your counter cover all of these bases?

SOFT

HARD

BLUE

COW

GOAT

SHEEP

SMELLY

MILD

STRONG

WHO TO BUY FROM?

Do you buy from nationwide or local distributors or direct from cheesemakers?

It’s good to have a mixture to cover all your bases and to have a variety of styles and price points.

Whoever you’re buying from, you can boost your selection with a bit of insider knowledge. Find out from your supplier which batches are tasting good and what exciting cheeses are on the horizon.

8 HOW TO RUN A SUCCESSFUL CHEESE COUNTER

A supplement to Fine Food Digest

ROTATING CHEESES To keep your regulars interested and fulfilled, you can rotate a percentage of your cheeses according to seasonality and availability.

THINK LOCAL

Are you based in Wensleydale? Then you should almost certainly be selling Wensleydale. Based in the South West? Make sure you’ve got plenty of farmhouse cheddar on the counter. People love shopping local and tourists love to try local produce.

CORE RANGE

Stock cheeses people know and love and get them in year round. Your customers need consistency for the classics and to know that they can always find these at your shop.

BRITISH OR CONTINENTAL?

Some consumers want to buy local, others still think that the Continent is a byword for the best. Make sure your selection is catering for both types of people. Even if you decide to specialise in British, it’s a good idea to carry equivalents to European classics, like Brie-style and washed rind varieties.

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HOW TO RUN A SUCCESSFUL CHEESE COUNTER 9

DISPLAY & MERCHANDISING It’s time to bring all that equipment and cheese together as you set up your counter ROLL OUT THE CHEESE

Arranging your cheeses is, on the whole, down to personal preference. Some like to group cheeses by style eg. hard, washed rind, fresh; others prefer to arrange their selection by

country of origin or animal milk. Many retailers like to keep their blue cheese separate from the rest but this is not compulsory. Nor is segregating unpasteurised cheeses.

Whatever theory you follow, the goal should always be to make the counter shoppable for the customer.

They should be able to locate the style of cheese they are looking for with

minimal direction from staff behind the counter.

Don’t be afraid to change your arrangement around from time to time, though.

New configurations will keep both staff and your regular customers on their toes and engaged.

GET YOUR COUNTER IN ORDER

Book onto the Guild of Fine Food’s one-day retail course to boost your cheese-selling skills. For more info and dates, visit gff.co.uk/training

10 HOW TO RUN A SUCCESSFUL CHEESE COUNTER

A supplement to Fine Food Digest

PRACTICAL PLACEMENT

You’ll also have to fit your equipment around the display.

Try not to place the till, scales or cutting boards so you have to turn your back on the customer when serving them.

If this is unavoidable, then a well-placed mirror will help you maintain eye contact.

Remember to leave enough working space behind the counter, or in the shop, for those days when you have lots of customers and extra staff on.

CREATE HOTSPOTS

Even if you don’t have a straightforward serveover, it’s worth creating an area, or areas, to merchandise new cheeses or special offers.

Draw customers’ eyes with a multi-piece display, extra signage telling the cheese’s story and some samples.

This is also a good tactic for dealing with cheeses close to their sell-by date.

LABEL EACH ONE

LIGHT IT UP

A badly lit counter can have a detrimental effect on sales. Avoid bulbs that cast a blue hue over the cheese and look for those that boost the colour of the cheese, especially yellows, in the counter. Whether the lighting on your cheese is in your counter or from the ceiling, ensure that it is angled to reduce the glare from clingwrapped cheese.

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Signage is key. Make it clear and concise. Labels must, at very least, identify the cheese, its price per kilo, and if it is made with unpasteurised milk.

Don’t give too much information on your signs, as it creates clutter and detracts from potential conversation points between you and the customer.

That said, some retailers like to include the country of origin, the animal of origin, the texture or style of cheese and whether it is suitable for vegetarians.

It’s very helpful to write the date information of each

cheese on the reverse of the label.

Choose signs that are sturdy and easily cleaned. Avoid those with spikes that will break the cheese’s surface.

BE DYNAMIC

Experiment with the layout of the counter. Pick one cheese that is tasting good that week, place it in the centre and build the display outwards from it. Display the cheeses at different heights, bigger cheeses at the back, smaller at the front. Some retailers break down their counter every week and rearrange it.

HOW TO RUN A SUCCESSFUL CHEESE COUNTER 11

12 HOW TO RUN A SUCCESSFUL CHEESE COUNTER

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CHEESE CARE & HYGIENE Your selection may be second to none, but you’ve got to keep that stock (and your shop) in top condition to please your customers and satisfy your EHO GET THE WRAP RIGHT

Cling-wrap all of your cuts of cheese and make sure there are no wrinkles. The better the wrap the less your customers will notice the unsightly cling.

It will also lock in moisture to protect the cheese from drying out. This doesn’t work for all varieties; cellophane is best for displaying soft cheeses, as it allows the cheese to breathe slightly better than cling film, which can be suffocating.

RECORD EVERYTHING

Log every cheese that comes into the shop, its arrival date and its sell-by date on a spreadsheet.

Having this knowledge at your fingertips will allow you to decide which cheeses to promote each day with offers and tastings. Good records will also impress your local environmental health officer.

USE YOUR EYE

If a cheese is still well within its ‘best before’ or ‘use by’ date but it looks to be very ripe, prioritise selling it. Cheese is a living product, so check that your stock isn’t drying out or moistening too much.

WHERE TO STORE

WHAT TO WEAR

HAVE A PLAN

Aprons, coats, hats... It’s entirely down to personal preference. No rules.

STAY ON IT

Regular hand washing is vital, particularly between handling different cheeses and after using the till. Tidy and wipe down surfaces whenever you’re not serving customers. Keep your service area clear of potential contaminators like used wrap and old packaging.

Some retailers have the luxury of extra fridges or chilled storage. But if space is tight, all cheeses can be in your counter for the entirety of their ‘use by’ or ‘best before’ dates.

A SUPPLEMENT TO FINE FOOD DIGEST

You need a Hazard Analysis & Critical Control Point (aka HACCP) plan – to identify potential risks in the business and establish procedures to deal with them. List and record all cleaning jobs and have a thorough end-of-day clean-down process.

The first port of call for any cheese retailer seeking hygiene guidance should be the Food Standards Agency food.gov.uk

HOW TO RUN A SUCCESSFUL CHEESE COUNTER 13

PREPARING & CUTTING Portioning cheese for your shoppers while they wait is an essential part of running a cheese counter. Here’s a run-through of what to use and how to use it.

PRE-CUT LARGER CHEESES

Tackle big whole cheeses by portioning before displaying. Cut a large wheel in half, wrap tightly in cling film and put it in your storage chiller. Then halve the other half again, wrap both tightly and put on display in the chiller, using one of these quarters as your cutting piece.

CUT IT CORRECTLY

Always cut from the middle to the edge of cheeses. That way the customer experiences all of the cheese – the sweeter, softer middle and the stronger flavoured paste near the rind.

CUTTING BOARDS

CUSTOMERS ARE GUIDES

Most cheesemongers have at least two cutting boards to avoid bottlenecks when serving. Some choose to have a designated board for blue cheeses. Be mindful of the requirements in your area from your EHO.

Don’t prompt customers to ask for how much they want in grams. Cutting to weight by eye is very difficult and takes years of practice. Demonstrate visually where you’re going to cut instead and get the customer to adjust it.

HOW TO USE THE WIRE 1. Choose the right tool for the cheese you are cutting. Make sure any labels, cloth or wax coating is removed or scored before you cut the cheese so it doesn’t drag through the paste.

2. If needed, score or mark the cheese, then make sure the wire lines up with your guideline. The wire should be removed from underneath the cheese.

14 HOW TO RUN A SUCCESSFUL CHEESE COUNTER

3. Pull the wire backwards and downwards confidently through the cheese and make sure you place the handle back in its place afterwards to stop it from springing backwards.

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WHICH KNIVES AND WHEN

You can cut most of the vast spectrum of cheese with the wire, except for very hard and very soft cheese.

Hard, large format cheeses, like Gouda should be tackled initially with a sturdy paring knife or the same knives used on Italian hard cheeses. Speaking of Parmigiano Reggiano and Grana Padano, there are specific short-bladed tools to penetrate the thick rind.

Once through, you can use a wire if you desire. When cutting soft, sticky cheeses like Brie, you want to make sure you are using a knife with as thin a blade as possible. If the cheeses are small enough, you can use a harp/ lyre. If using knives on harder cheeses, make sure the blades are rigid as those that flex will cause a curved cut.

4. If any rind has made its way onto the paste of the cheese, scrape it off using a paring knife before wrapping it.

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HOW TO CUT LE GRUYÈRE AOP

A cheese wire should be used to cut a wheel in half.

Then use a double handle knife to cut the cheese into quarters. Follow the illustration on the right to divide the quarters. Wrap each piece in film and never leave Le Gruyère AOP open to the air.

5. When cutting a wedge, make sure your wire is lined up accurately at the tip of the cheese (or a few millimetres over), so you get a clean cut.

6. Make sure you wrap the cheese as soon as possible and put the remaining cheese back in your counter after you have served the customer.

HOW TO RUN A SUCCESSFUL CHEESE COUNTER 15

CHEDDAR GORGE CHEESE COMPANY

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www.cheddargorgecheese.com

RETAIL CHEESE TRAINING LEARN | TAS TE | UNDERS TAND | COMMUNICATE Our one-day course for anyone sourcing or selling cheese, delivered by industry and retail experts. Understand how cheese is made, how it should be stored and sold, gain skills to help communicate with customers and sell more cheese from a position of knowledge.

To find out more and book a place on our 2024 courses, visit gff.co.uk/training

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16 HOW TO RUN A SUCCESSFUL CHEESE COUNTER

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WRAPPING How to prepare cut cheese for the customer to take home HOW TO WRAP: STEP BY STEP

3

1 1. Place your A4 piece of paper in front of you in portrait orientation. Your cheese wedge should go in the centre of this sheet. If there is a heel or gradient, have the highest part at the bottom, closest to you.

2 2. Take the top of the paper in one hand and bottom in the other and lift them above the cheese wedge until they meet in the middle.

4

3. Carefully pleat the two downwards together until the last pleat rests on top of the cheese wedge.

5 5. The cheese is now secure and if you print out stickers, you can affix them on top of these flaps to keep them from re-opening.

4. Fold the open sides into triangle shapes like you are wrapping a gift and fold these underneath the cheese wedge.

CHOOSE YOUR MATERIAL

While cling film is seen as the best wrap on the counter and in storage, almost every retailer swears by waxed paper when packaging cut cheese for customers. Cellophane can also be used – and it might also come in handy as an inner wrap to hold wetter and softer cheeses in place.

A SUPPLEMENT TO FINE FOOD DIGEST

GET THE RIGHT SIZE

Before you start to wrap a cut piece of cheese, work out how much paper you need to cover the piece. Exposed corners are unacceptable but so is a great clump of folded paper if too much has to be tucked in. Cut your paper in half and keep a small basket of these half sizes of paper.

HOW TO RUN A SUCCESSFUL CHEESE COUNTER 17

HOW TO SELL So you’ve got all the kit and a well-stocked counter.

Now it’s time to meet the customers.

GIVE TASTERS GOOD PRESENTATION

Appearance, facial expression and body language are all vital in a sales environment.

Standing up straight, smiling and wearing some kind of uniform – it might only be an apron – will all make people more willing to buy cheese from you.

MEET AND GREET

Greet every customer as they enter, even if it’s just a ‘hello’ and some eye contact. Specialist shops can be daunting environments for a lot of people so you need to put people at ease as soon as possible. Offering a taster on entry will draw them to the counter and get them browsing and talking.

Everything on your counter should be available to sample, even if it is a high value item. How else will you sell it to someone who has never tasted it before?

SUSS THEM OUT

Ask customers if there is anything they’d like to try. If this doesn’t coax them out of their shells then ask them what type of cheese they usually like. Most people will engage with you after a few samples and some encouraging questions.

18 HOW TO RUN A SUCCESSFUL CHEESE COUNTER

READ THE PERSON

You have to gauge the situation for each customer. While some are more timid or want to browse, others will know exactly what they want and don’t want to chat or be sold to. It’s always worth seeing if they’d like anything extra but not worth pushing too hard, or they won’t come back.

A SUPPLEMENT TO FINE FOOD DIGEST

TOO MUCH INFORMATION?

KNOW YOUR COMBOS

Some will be more interested than others but all customers will respond to good product knowledge. A canny salesperson will be able to gauge whether a person wants the full fact-file on a cheese or just a few details. It’s best to have a one-liner or piece of trivia to roll out for each product and you can expand on that if the customer needs more convincing.

SAMPLING ETIQUETTE

When offering a sample of cheese make sure you are taking a small shaving or cube from a cheese and that the piece you are sampling from is still fit for sale.

Gouged pieces of cheese are unsightly, hard to wrap and will incur a lot of wastage to clean up and fix.

Many customers will come in looking to you for help assembling a cheeseboard.

Have an idea of which varieties complement each other and memorise some line-ups to suit several budgets.

TASTE YOUR OWN WARES

By their nature, artisan cheeses can vary from season to season and batch to batch. Sample your own stock regularly from the counter.

This makes sure each individual cheese tastes as it should and keeps your knowledge up to date for responding to customers’ taste requirements.

HOW MUCH TO SAMPLE?

Different cheesemongers follow different procedures to minimise the impact on their margins.

One approach is to factor heavy sampling and wastage into your pricing if you are in a location which requires this, such as a market.

Make sure you record all sampling and spoilage in a log.

Finally, train staff to cut very small shavings or pieces to offer to customers to keep wastage down and cheese in good condition.

A SUPPLEMENT TO FINE FOOD DIGEST

ALWAYS HAVE ALTERNATIVES

Make sure you carry more than one type of each cheese style. This keeps even the most repeat visitors interested in your counter, even if they’re trying a different cheddar every week.

HOW TO RUN A SUCCESSFUL CHEESE COUNTER 19

UPSELLING & PROMOTIONS Here are some tips for making the most of each sale and maximising each customer’s spend PRICE PROMOTIONS: FRIEND OR FOE?

IN-STORE TASTINGS…

Well-planned in-store tastings can be a good way of promoting certain cheeses. However, unmanned trays of samples will encourage customers to graze and won’t sell the cheese in the counter.

Hosting tastings, run by your suppliers or even the

cheese-maker themselves, will lend retail theatre to the shop and create the buzz needed to sell more cheese.

Some leading brands, such as Le Gruyère AOP, do offer promotional material and can also provide fullytrained demonstration staff to run tastings.

Straight price reductions might shift cheese quickly but they will affect customers’ expectations on their next visit. Some cheesemongers have had success with subtler “below the line” promotions, such as weekly specials offering consumers a certain cheese at their restaurant wholesale price. It is less risky to run promotional deals with accompaniments, for example: “Buy three cheeses and get a pack of oatcakes half price”.

OPTIONAL EXTRAS: WHAT TO UPSELL • Learn and stock some of the classic combinations (eg.

Wensleydale and fruit cake or hard sheep’s cheese and quince paste).

• Be prepared to demonstrate accompaniments by offering samples and have them within easy reach so you can do this speedily.

20 HOW TO RUN A SUCCESSFUL CHEESE COUNTER

• Wine and cheese are age-old partners but, if you’ve got a licence, don’t overlook the pairing potential of beer, which is also cheaper to offer as a sample.

A SUPPLEMENT TO FINE FOOD DIGEST

BEWARE OF OVERLOAD

Don’t let a customer walk away with too much. If they can’t get through it in time it will go off at the back of the fridge and they’ll blame you, the cheesemonger, rather than their own greed.

EVENING EVENTS

If you can open in the evening, and provided you have a licence, cheese and wine events are proving more and more popular.

Informal, walkin events might generate lots of footfall but if they’re too unstructured you won’t sell anything.

More structured, ticketed events will keep numbers down and will attract enthusiasts looking to try new things.

PUT CHEESE IN CONTEXT

If you have a café or offer food-to-go, put dishes on the menu that demonstrate the uses of cheeses. Sandwiches are the easiest way to showcase a cheese. Even if a customer doesn’t buy some on this visit, they may well ask for that cheese the next time they’re in the shop.

• If you’re displaying your accompaniments, label them up with cheesematching suggestions to pique browsers’ interests.

• Be different with your flavour matches. Biscuits and chutneys have their place but seek out something that people won’t have experienced.

A SUPPLEMENT TO FINE FOOD DIGEST

• Stock a range of crackers, oatcakes and biscuits as well as accompaniments like chutneys and charcuterie.

These can easily be tacked onto a sale, it’s best to do this once a customer has finished selecting their cheese.

HOW TO RUN A SUCCESSFUL CHEESE COUNTER 21

CHEESE MATCHING The possibilities for pairing are endless. While we have started you off with some classic combos, most of this page has been left blank for your own notes

Pitchfork with ale chutney

Cheddar

Alpine

Le Gruyère AOP with Chardonnay Stilton with quince paste

Blue

Fresh

Washed Rind Manchego with sparkling perry

Ewes’ Milk

Goats’ Milk Brie de Meaux with charcoal crackers

Mould Ripened

Wine

Beer & Cider

22 HOW TO RUN A SUCCESSFUL CHEESE COUNTER

Pickles & Chutney

Crackers & Biscuits

Sweet Preserves

A SUPPLEMENT TO FINE FOOD DIGEST

WHEEL OF AROMA Use these tasting notes and the aroma wheel below to top up your knowledge of Le Gruyère AOP

GRUYÈRE AOP MILD

GRUYÈRE AOP MATURE

Fresh milk

Fresh curd Fresh Hea cream ted Fresh lact Ac butt ic er idi Ren fie d ered dl ac but Boil tic ter ed mil Ac k idif ied Yo cur gh urt d Ac id Ri nd ified w of he ... y

RS HE OT

Fresh lac tic

Propionic

Matured for a minimum of 14 months, Gruyère AOP Mature is full-bodied and highly aromatic with fruity notes. Dark yellow in colour, this cheese is firm yet crumbly with a slightly grainy texture and a lingering saltiness.

Ra

y

ld

M

ou

So

ap

id nc tic Ace onia Amm urous lp Su h ric ty Bu

Matured for between 6 and 9 months, Gruyère AOP Mild is smooth and aromatic and will convince even the most discerning palate. It combines its distinctive, balanced flavour with a delicious soft body.

LAC TIC

d

tri

Pu

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bb

Ru

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Sil

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Spic

m Fer

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vegeta

y s Ha ras tg ay dh We nte e m Fer to Pota lower Caulif ETABLE VEG

Nut meg Pep per Mi nt

SPIC Y

s

ras

dg

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Clove

ed

Cow sh

Boiled

Leather ANIMAL

s

ras

Ch

Cow-herd

Alliaceous

Hon

Flo

ey

ram

eli

Dr

ied

se

ed

N W

c

s

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Green Peas

Garlic Onion

Humus Wood sh

BR O

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as te

ffe e

Co

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Pl

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ch o

A SUPPLEMENT TO FINE FOOD DIGEST

we

Celery

aving s Flow er h one Ros y e Vio let Ha ze lnu W aln t ut

FLO d RA ut n on L t es alm Ch led e Pe ge an Or on Lem fruit pe Gra its ana fru Ban rus pple Cit Pinea its c fru Exoti Apricot fruits Apple Stone or pip Dried fruits Processed fruits Fermented fruits Olive oi l Burn t Smo Toa ked ste ds Toas ee te d d s b read Toa To ste as da To te lmo a d s ted nd To pe a nu dh t az eln ut

Ca

Sweat

ed alt el M ram Ca fee Tof illa Van illic Van t renne Calf oth Meat br e Cattle manur

illic Van et Renn Meat

Woody

Matured for a minimum of 10 months, Gruyère AOP Réserve boasts a full-bodied and fruity flavour. Light yellow in colour, it is saltier than a younger Gruyère AOP. It has a firm, slightly crumbly texture and a flavour that lingers in the mouth.

s

as

gr

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GRUYÈRE AOP RÉSERVE

n

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GRUYÈRE ALPAGE AOP

Gruyère d’Alpage AOP is produced high up in the Alps and the Jura mountains during the summer with the same traditional recipe that has been handed down from generation to generation. It can only be produced during the summer season when there is enough grass on the mountain.

HOW TO RUN A SUCCESSFUL CHEESE COUNTER 23

AN ANCIENT RECIPE

WITHOUT GLUTEN OR LACTOSE. TALK ABOUT FORWARD THINKING.

16 HOW TO RUN A SUCCESSFUL CHEESE COUNTER

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