FFD How to run a cheese counter 2015

A S U P P L E ME N T T O

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

2015-16 Edition

A guide to improving your skills

How to run a successful cheese counter Includes hints and tips on: DISPLAY RANGE CHEESE CARE EQUIPMENT CUTTING WRAPPING SELLING PROMOTIONS CHEESE MATCHING

LE GRUYÈRE AOP

*

BORN IN SWITZERLAND, 1115 A.D. And remains the only cheese that’s 100% Natural, 100% Traditional, 100% from Switzerland and 100% Le Gruyère AOP *AOP = PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) – must be traditionally and entirely prepared and produced within the region, thus acquiring the unique properties of Gruyère AOP cheese, to bear the name Le Gruyère AOP.

Born in Switzerland in 1115. www.gruyere.com

Switzerland. Naturally.

Cheeses from Switzerland. www.cheesesfromswitzerland.com

WELCOME

During the final week of putting this publication together, I visited a cheese counter on a whim – and the whole experience was a calamity from start to finish.

The shy, young member of staff serving me mumbled in response to my request for a piece of Gouda and proceeded to make a damaging attempt to cut the cheese the wrong way round on the wire.

When they began to saw at it with a serrated knife, I had to intervene with some advice.

Although I got my piece of (slightly bruised) cheese in the end, the experience was awkward and not really what buying food from a counter is about.

However, this unfortunate event did reinforce the belief that we needed to put this publication together. It seems that not everyone who works behind a cheese counter is a master of the trade.

Thankfully, there are some top-notch cheesemongers out there and some of them have been good enough to advise on the assembly of this guide to both the practicalities and the nuances of running a successful cheese counter.

Whether you’re a veteran or a novice, I hope you’ll find something here that improves your ability to sell cheese.

Michael Lane Deputy Editor, Fine Food Digest

FFD would like to thank the following retailers for their help during the research for this guide: Androuet, London, Buchanan’s Cheesemonger, London, George Mewes Cheese, Glasgow, Paxton & Whitfield, London, The Courtyard Dairy, Settle, North Yorkshire, Turnbulls Delicatessen, Shaftesbury, Dorset, Umami Delicatessen, Wantage, Oxon

EDITORIAL editorial@gff.co.uk

Editor: Mick Whitworth Deputy editor: Michael Lane Art director: Mark Windsor Contributor: Patrick McGuigan Photography: Richard Faulks

ADVERTISING advertise@gff.co.uk

Sales manager: Sally Coley Advertisement sales: Becky Stacey, Ruth Debnam A supplement to Fine Food Digest

Counter set-up: display 4 Counter set-up: range 7 Counter set-up: equipment 9 Counter set-up: cheese care & hygiene 11 Serving the customer: cutting 14 Serving the customer: wrapping 17 Serving the customer: selling 18 Serving the customer: upselling & promotions 21 Cheese pairings 25 Le Gruyère AOP age profiles 29 Message from Le Gruyère AOP Le Gruyère AOP has always been an ardent supporter of independent retailers and our sponsorship of the Guild of Fine Food’s Cheese Counter of the Year competition over the last four years proves our commitment to best practice in retailing.

Sponsoring this guide is an extension of our work to help what has become a vital sales channel for our cheese and an essential link to the final consumer. We look forward to inspiring budding cheesemongers and seasoned professionals alike.

Helen Daysh, Marketing Manager UK, Le Gruyère AOP Published by Great Taste Publications Ltd and the Guild of Fine Food Ltd GENERAL ENQUIRIES: Tel: 01747 825200 Fax: 01747 824065 info@gff.co.uk www.gff.co.uk Guild of Fine Food, Guild House, 23b Kingsmead Business Park, Shaftesbury Rd, Gillingham, SP8 5FB UK Fine Food Digest is published 11 times a year and is available on subscription for £45pa inclusive of post and packing. Printed by: Blackmore, Shaftesbury, UK © Great Taste Publications Ltd and The Guild of Fine Food Ltd 2015. 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. The publisher cannot accept responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or illustrations

How to Run a Successful Cheese Counter 3

COUNTER SET-UP: CHEESE CARE & HYGIENE

Hey, good looking Before you start selling you’ve got to have a counter. Here are some tips for setting up shop.

Ways to display

A cheese counter can come in several forms and they all have their strengths and weaknesses.

Curiously enough, the top three shops in this year’s Le Gruyère AOP Cheese Counter of the Year competition all featured different styles of chilled display: Air-conditioned environments or cheese rooms Creating an air-conditioned cheese room allows retailers to build eye-catching displays incorporating whole cheeses. The openness of the set-up also immerses customers and offers lots of potential for engaging with staff.

That said, this retail format is potentially costlier to set up than a standard counter and the chilled environment will not appeal to all customers. It does make it trickier to offer a full deli range or a café service with a seating area.

Hence, this style of set-up is mainly the choice of specialist cheese retailers. It has also accounted for the last three winnners of Le Gruyère AOP Cheese Counter of the Year: George Mewes Cheese in Glasgow (2014), The Courtyard Dairy in North Yorkshire (2013) and Paxton & Whitfield’s Jermyn Street branch (2012).

Multidecks Multideck or upright chillers 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. Androuet in East London (second place, 2014 Le Gruyère AOP Cheese Counter of the Year competition) uses several upright displays to good effect. These chillers encourage customers to browse but, on the downside, they also tempt people into handling the cheese.

Some multideck systems can use quite heavy draughts to keep their contents cold so cheese needs to be well-wrapped to prevent any drying.

4 How to Run a Successful Cheese Counter

George Mewes Cheese, Glasgow

Serveover The classic deli set-up is the most common configuration. Not only is it versatile enough for retailers who sell more than just cheese and but it is also the traditional way to sell speciality foods.

For retailers who find the glass frontage a bit too imposing for customers, there is the flat well fridge, (as seen in the 2014 Le Gruyère AOP Cheese Counter of the Year third place retailer Buchanans) which brings the shopper closer to the cheese but maintains that traditional divide between customer and counter staff.

A supplement to Fine Food Digest

COUNTER SET-UP: DISPLAY Buchanan’s, London

g Androuet, London

Label correctly Labels must, at very least, identify the cheese, its price per kilo, and if it is made with unpasteurised milk. Other helpful vital statistics include the country of origin, the animal of origin, the texture or style of cheese and whether it is suitable for vegetarians. Avoid signs with spikes that will break the surface of the cheese.

Get things in order

Advice from the experts

“We use wooden blocks to help build the counter so it’s not just on one level. It gets customers’ eyes dancing. You want the shop to be not just where they buy cheese and leave, but an experience.”

Stephen Sweet, assistant manager, George Mewes Cheese A supplement to Fine Food Digest

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 from the rest.

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. Position the cheeses at different heights, bigger ones at the back, smaller at the front. The staff at George Mewes Cheese break down the display at least twice weekly and rearrange it.

How to Run a Successful Cheese Counter 5

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COUNTER SET-UP: CHOOSING YOUR RANGE

The right stuff 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.

Please the crowd

Farmhouse cheddar, Brie De Meaux, Le Gruyère AOP, Stilton. These are the kind of cheeses that sell in abundance. Make sure that you carry all of the classics because the majority of customers will want at least one and you’ll find that they are the backbone of your sales.

Rotate your squad

Some cheesemongers have as many as 100 cheeses in their range through the year but they might only have 50 in stock and on display. It’s good to have seasonal varieties, like Vacherin, or just to switch cheeses in and out of the counter to keep regular customers interested.

Speak to suppliers

Whether buying direct or through a distributor, you can boost your selection with a bit of insider knowledge. Find out which batches are tasting good and what exciting cheeses are on the horizon.

Know your region Soft

Hard

Blue

Cow

Goat

Sheep

Smelly

Tasty

Strong

Find out the local preferences and gear your orders towards them. For instance, crumblies like Wensleydale and Lancashire sell more in the North of England while West Country Farmhouse Cheddars are the biggest sellers on their home turf.

Home or abroad?

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. Although it is a primarily French cheese specialist, Androuet’s range (pictured) strikes a good balance between British and Continental cheese.

Tick the boxes Can your counter cover all of these bases?

Advice from the experts

“The bulk of your sales will come from a very small number of cheeses but without the rest of them, your customers won’t come.”

Rhuaridh Buchanan, Buchanan’s Cheesemonger A supplement to Fine Food Digest

How to Run a Successful Cheese Counter 7

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COUNTER SET-UP: EQUIPMENT

Get kitted out A brief checklist of the tools of the trade Down to the wire

Weighing it up

Most cheesemongers swear by board-mounted wires, which can be used to cut most cheeses.

Some prefer to have multiple boards behind the counter to avoid cross-contamination, especially between blues and other types. Replacement wires and handles are essential because they will break when you need them most.

Scales are essential for any loose food counter but think about what will save you the most time.

Most scales print labels identifying the cheese and the price. Would it help to link the scales to your till, too?

Wrapper’s delight You will need a lot of cling film for wrapping the cheese both on display and in storage, and an automatic dispenser will save lots of time. Waxed paper is widely accepted as the best wrap at the point of sale.

Label those curds Labels should be sturdy and made of an easily cleaned material. Avoid those with attachments that pierce or damage the cheese.

A supplement to Fine Food Digest

Sharpen those blades The wire can’t do everything. Large kitchen knives and serrated knives are often recommended for portioning softer cheeses while harder cheeses are more easily portioned with specialist blades, like double-handled rocker and Parmesan knives. Small knives or cheese planes are useful for sampling.

How to Run a Successful Cheese Counter 9

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A supplement to Fine Food Digest

COUNTERSET-UP: SET-UP: CHEESE CHEESE CARE CARE & & HYGIENE HYGIENE COUNTER

Run a tidy operation

Your selection may be second to none but you’ve got to keep that stock in top condition to please your customers and satisfy your EHO. Here are some pointers.

Keep that wrap tight

Record, record, record

Cling-wrap all of your cuts of cheese and make sure it’s very tight. The snugger 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; smaller soft cheeses are better off stored in waxed paper.

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.

Advice from the experts

“Cheese is a living product so you’ve got to look at it.

If cracks appear and it’s drying out, you need to wrap it up tighter.

If it looks wet, you need to leave it out unwrapped.”

Andy Swinscoe, The Courtyard Dairy

Staying clean: hygiene tips for keeping things spick and span...

• Aprons, coats, hats... It’s entirely down to personal preference but black or white are the best colours. Any dirt is easily identified and you can be demonstrably clean for customers and EHOs alike.

A supplement to Fine Food Digest

• Regular hand washing is vital, particularly between handling different cheeses and after using the till. Keep contact between cheese and bare hands to a minimum.

• Tidy and wipe down surfaces whenever you’re not serving customers. Keep your service area clear of potential contaminators like used wrap, old packaging and incoming delivery boxes.

How to Run a Successful Cheese Counter 11

COUNTER SET-UP: CHEESE CARE & HYGIENE Cheese type

How long can I keep it in the counter?

Fresh 2 eg. curd cheese Mozzarella

While there are no hard and fast rules for how long you can keep it in the counter the UK Cheese Guild offers these display life guidelines for opened or portioned cheese on display at below 8°C.

3

Mould-ripened, soft eg. Brie

6-7 days

Mould-ripened, semi-hard eg. Gorgonzola

10-12 days

Stilton and similar blues

12-16 days

Hard-pressed with additives

9-12 days

Semi-hard & ‘crumblies’ eg. Caerphilly

12-14 days

Hard pressed eg. Cheddar or Le Gruyère AOP

16 days

Very hard cheese eg. Grana Padano or Manchego

21 days 0

5

10

Control your temperature By the letter of the law, cheese must be transported, stored and displayed at 8°C or below. But there are a number of exceptions to this rule, particularly when it comes to maturing cheeses on your premises and the style of your display. It is always best to discuss your circumstances with your local EHO. The most important thing is to monitor and record the temperature in each display chiller as often as possible.

You could also use a temperature probe on individual cheeses and minimum-maximium thermometers to track temperatures at regular intervals when the shop is closed.

15

20

25 Days

Advice from the experts

We have two maturing rooms. One for hard cheeses, that need a temperature of 8-12°C, and another room for softer cheeses at a temperature of 3-7°C. Hero Hirsch, manager Paxton & Whitfield, Jermyn Street

Staying clean • You need a Hazard Analysis & Critical Control Point plan, aka a HACCP plan. Essentially this document will allow you to identify potential risks in the business and establish procedures to deal with them.

• Make sure every cleaning job is listed and recorded when it is carried out. Have an end-ofday cleaning process that all staff can carry out, including visual checks across the shop and backrooms.

12 How to Run a Successful Cheese Counter

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

A supplement to Fine Food Digest

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How to Run a Successful Cheese Counter 13

COUNTER SET-UP: CHEESE CARE & HYGIENE

At the sharp e Divide and conquer

Proper portions

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.

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.

Guess the weight?

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 • The piece of cheese should be wedge-shaped with the outer edge facing your stomach and resting on the lip of the cutting board.

• P ull the wire down, rather than towards yourself. Do this evenly, with a steady hand at one speed.

• Lift the wire over the whole piece of cheese and line it up just off the point of the wedge by half a centimetre or so.

• The wire should be used on most hards but the hardest cheeses will require a double handle knife or a Parmesan rind-cutting hook knife.

14 How to Run a Successful Cheese Counter

A supplement to Fine Food Digest

SERVING THE CUSTOMER: CUTTING

p end

Preparing 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.

Knives out You can tackle 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 doublehandled rocker knife, while there are specialist knives and chisels for cutting Parmigiano Reggiano and Grana Padano.

Serrated cheese knives will cut through soft cheeses rather than squash them. Slotted versions are the best, because they have less surface area for the cheese to stick to.

If using knives on harder cheeses, make sure the blades are rigid as those that flex will cause a curved cut.

Advice from the experts

“Not many of the public are confident in weights. Show them the size of the piece with the wire or by hand before you cut.”

Rhuaridh Buchanan, Buchanan’s Cheesemonger

Board spectrum Most cheesemongers have at least two cutting boards – one for blues and one for the rest. Others prefer to have separate boards for pasteurised and unpasteurised, too.

Individual EHOs have different views on this, so seek their advice.

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.

A supplement to Fine Food Digest

How to Run a Successful Cheese Counter 15

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SERVING THE CUSTOMER: WRAPPING COUNTER SET-UP: CHEESE CARE & HYGIENE

Into the fold Tips on practical packaging that looks good too

Choose your material While cling film is seen as the best wrap for cheese on the counter and in storage, almost every cheese retailer swears by waxed paper when packaging cut cheese for customers.

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 unsightly but so is a great clump of folded paper if too much has to be tucked in.

A supplement to Fine Food Digest

Wrapping flat, small pieces and individual cheeses Place the cheese in the middle of the paper and fold the two long edges to meet tightly in a pleat over the centre of the cheese Then, tuck and fold the excess at the sides underneath.

Wrapping wedges Place the cheese at a 45째 angle to the straight edges of the paper.

Fold a corner over the fat end of the wedge, with the point heading towards the thin end.

Flatten the paper along one

side of the wedge, as if you were wrapping a present, and then fold it tightly over the top. Repeat the process on the other side and then fold in the excess paper from the nose end to the centre.

Think about thickness The standard thickness of 50 grams per square metre (gsm) works well for most cheeses and should keep it in good condition for seven days after sale.

However, thinner paper will keep moist, soft cheeses in better condition while thicker paper will benefit dryer, harder cheeses.

How to Run a Successful Cheese Counter 17

COUNTER SET-UP: CHEESE CARE & HYGIENE

So you’ve got all the kit and a well-stocked counter. Now it’s time to sell some cheese…

Sealing the d Give tasters 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?

Look sharp 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.

Suss them out

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 immediately draw them to the counter and get them browsing and talking.

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

SERVING THE CUSTOMER: SELLING

e deal

Know your combos 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.

Too much information?

Plane speaking The cheese plane is a quick and efficient way of offering a taster. Better than pre-cubed samples, the thin slices cause minimum disruption to the cheese and will warm quickly in the customer’s hand so they taste better.

Small paring knives will also do the trick.

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.

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.

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.

Advice from the experts

“Every single cheese has a good story. If you’re a cheesemonger, you’d better know those stories.”

Michael Dale, Umami Delicatessen A supplement to Fine Food Digest

How to Run a Successful Cheese Counter 19

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With 15 generations of experience we are the UK’s most awarded clothbound cheddar.

www.quickes.co.uk Home Farm, Newton St Cyres, Devon EX5 5AY 20 How to Run a Successful Cheese Counter

A supplement to Fine Food Digest

SERVING THE CUSTOMER: UPSELLING & PROMOTIONS

Selling more Here are some tips for making the most of each sale and maximising each customer’s spend Put cheese in context

Price promotions: friend or foe?

Straight price reductions might shift cheese quickly but they will affect customer expectations on their next visit. Some cheesemongers have had success with subtler “below the line” promotions, such as running 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”.

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.

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 cheesemaker 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 fully-trained demonstration staff to run tastings.

A supplement to Fine Food Digest

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, walk-in 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.

How to Run a Successful Cheese Counter 21

2015 is the year to give your customers a taste for Dziugas the giant’s cheese with the giant flavour

Bright waxes.

Brilliant cheeses.

To become a stockist, please contact 01745 357070 or email sales@snowdonia-cheese.co.uk

Gain giant sales with Dziugas for a very Happy New Year Contact: enquiries@carronlodge.com

www.cashelblue.com

A balanced subtle, creamy blue, enjoyed since 1984 Uniquely made and matured on the family farm Contact Sarah & Sergio Furno sarah@cashelblue.com Beechmount, Fethard, Co. Tipperary, Ireland 22 How to Run a Successful Cheese Counter

A supplement to Fine Food Digest

SERVING THE CUSTOMER: UPSELLING & PROMOTIONS 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.

Advice from the experts

“I don’t usually want to upsell in a way that takes advantage of that one moment. It’s about a long-term relationship with customers.”

Charlie Turnbull, Turnbulls Deli

Optional extras: what to upsell • S tock a range of crackers, oatcakes and biscuits as well as accompaniments like chutneys and charcuterie.

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

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

• Learn and stock some of the classic combinations (eg.

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

• 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.

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

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

For more cheese matching ideas, turn to page 25 A supplement to Fine Food Digest

How to Run a Successful Cheese Counter 23

Celebrating 25 yearsThe Taste of Dedication

Handmade exclusively from the milk produced by the ewes here on our farm. Available throughout the UK, also; North America, Europe and Asia.

Our accolades: Super Gold 2013 World Cheese Awards. Best Modern British Cheese and Best Export Cheese at the British Cheese Awards.

info@berkswellcheese.com

01676 532203

www.berkswellcheese.com

SWISS FAMILY

SPIRIT 1845

AWELTMEISTER F F I NKÄSE E-U R WALO CHEESE AWARD WINNER

AFFINEUR MEDAILLÉ - STAGGIONATORE PREMIATO

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Only the best cheese from Switzerand are part of

SELECTION WALO VON MÜHLENEN 32 AWARDS AT THE WORLD CHEESE AWARDS, 12 AWARDS IN 2012, 11 AWARDS IN 2013 & 10 AWARDS IN 2014 SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES: • 2 Super Gold • 3 Gold • 1 Silver • 4 Bronze

PRODUCTS AVAILABLE AT:

www.finecheese.co.uk

Contact : WALO VON MÜHLENEN PO Box 295 3186 Düdingen Switzerland walo@affineurwalo.ch T +41 79 217 54 11

24 How to Run a Successful Cheese Counter

A supplement to Fine Food Digest

CHEESE PAIRINGS

Let’s get

together

When it comes to matching the things in your counter with extras, you don’t just have to stick to familiar bedfellows. FFD’s cheese expert PATRICK McGUIGAN picks out some alternative combinations.

Soft goats’ cheese with green tea Golden Cross and Lalani & Co Himalayan green tea Cheesemonger Rhuaridh Buchanan has one of the best palates in the business and is a big fan of matching cheese with tea at his eponymous shop in London. One of his favourites is Golden Cross goats’ cheese with Himalayan green tea from Lalani & Co. It really is a fantastic combination with floral, mineral notes in the cheese matching up with a briney, almost seaweed-like flavour in the tea. www.lalaniandco.com

Blue cheese with Madeira Bath Blue and Barbeito This is a twist on the classic pairing of Port and Stilton. Bath Blue is made to a Stilton recipe and was named Supreme Champion at the 2014 World Cheese Awards. It’s made by Graham Padfield using organic milk from his own herd and is deliciously rich and creamy. It also has a decent salty tang, which contrasts nicely with a sweet Madeira. Barbeito’s five year old Boal Reserve is a good option, full of caramel and raisin notes with hints of ginger and marmalade. www.vinhosbarbeito.com

A supplement to Fine Food Digest

How to Run a Successful Cheese Counter 25

CHEESE PAIRINGS

Semi hard cheese with sourdough

Sheep’s milk cheese with honey Berkswell and Hilltop Honey Britain’s answer to Manchego, but with its own unique characteristics, Berkswell is a modern classic.

Made from sheep’s milk, with a sweet, nutty flavour and pleasant sharpness, it’s a great table cheese on its own. A drizzle of honey, however, takes it in a different direction, mellowing the acidity and heightening the fruity notes.

Hilltop Honey in Wales does a nice range of raw and organic products.

Try the dark brown Honeydew honey or lighter Acacia. www.hilltop-honey.com

Ogleshield and Poilâne sourdough Urban cheesemaker Bill Oglethorpe makes a small fortune at Borough Market selling what many believe is the best cheese toastie in London. His secret? Montgomery’s fruity raclette-style cheese Ogleshield (which Oglethorpe helped to develop) and Poilâne sourdough. The filling is a mix of grated Ogleshield, Comté and Montgomery’s cheddar (at a ratio of 10-10-80), plus chopped onion, leek and garlic.

The sandwich is then cooked on a griddle until the bread is golden and the cheese is molten goo. Simple, but effective. www.poilane.com

Le Gruyère AOP with ale Reserve Gruyère AOP and La Chouffe ale Beer has so much in common with cheese that in many ways it is a much better match than wine. The kinds of flavours you find in cheese, from caramel and spice to floral and farmyard notes, are also characteristics of beer. Reserve Gruyère AOP, for example, which has a complex mix of fruity, floral and lactic flavours, works well with the citrus and spice of a Belgian ale, such as La Chouffe. www.achouffe.be/en

Hard goats’ cheese with brownies Tymsboro and Gail’s Bakery chocolate brownie A slice of Stilton with your Christmas cake is a festive classic, but cheese and cake should be for life, not just for Christmas.

Eccles cake and Lancashire is another traditional combo, as is plum bread and Lincolnshire Poacher, but for something a bit different try an aged Tymsboro goats’ cheese with a chocolate brownie from Gail’s Bakery. The punchy cheese really hits it off with the rich, silky brownie in a wonderfully intense way. Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it. www.gailsbread.co.uk 26 How to Run a Successful Cheese Counter

A supplement to Fine Food Digest

The chutney cheese would choose...

015394 36614 • info@hawksheadrelish.com • hawksheadrelish.com

Raydale Preserves

GFF - Guide to a Successful Cheese Counter.indd 1

12/11/2014 09:37:51

T: 01969 650233 F: 01969 650233 www.raydalepreserves.co.uk A supplement to Fine Food Digest

How to Run a Successful Cheese Counter 27

Great tasting British Stilton made the traditional way Cropwell Bishop is famous for its cheese, and we have been producing delicious Stilton for three generations from our village creamery. We handcraft our cheese the traditional way, using milk from carefully selected regional farms.

Find out more about our range of cheese, and what makes it so tasty, at www.cropwellbishopstilton.co.uk Call us on 0115 989 2350 or follow us on twitter @YummyStilton

L e S a in t Mo n t des Alp es

Goat Hill

TASTE AN AWARD WINNING GOAT CHEESE FROM SLOVAKIA

BRO

NZE

BRO

NZE

Tasting is believing

We are looking for distributors in the UK and abroad

Contact: Jerome at 07929418672 w w w. m o n t s e tte rroi rs.co m

www.kozivrsok.sk

28 How to Run a Successful Cheese Counter

call +421 2 5465 4422 or email at sales@kozivrsok.sk Address: Leonteus ltd., VentĂşrska 3, 811 01 Bratislava, Slovakia

A supplement to Fine Food Digest

AGE PROFILES OF LE GRUYÈRE AOP

Roll up

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

Gruyère AOP Mild

Gruyère AOP Mature

Gruyère AOP Réserve

Gruyère Alpage AOP

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.

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.

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A supplement to Fine Food Digest

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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.

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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.

How to Run a Successful Cheese Counter 29

M O HA N LF O EM AL PR F BE L IC FE R JU CO E T R S’ N UR RA E 2 S IN 01 ES IN 5 UN G TI L

Learn, Inspire & Succeed in 2015 Training is vital to retail success and will dramatically improve sales. Guild retail cheese training will help you to: • Enhance your understanding of the cheese making process • Understand the impact terrior has on cheese • Recognise the main families of cheese • Learn how to select, care, display and sell cheese • Comparatively taste over 40 cheese types • Inspire customers with your knowledge, enthusiasm and passion for your cheese counter • Succeed and increase turnover Book a Guild Retail cheese training day NOW for you or a member of your team and take advantage of our members’ half price training offer of just £35 plus VAT

Guild Retail Cheese Training dates: March 16 Guild HQ, Dorset March 17 London April 14 Solihull April 15 York May 11 London May 12 London June 23 Harrogate

Course costs Guild Member Offer: 50% off normal price of £70 (now £35) plus 20% VAT Non-members: £95 plus 20% VAT *NB: London training is subject to an additional fee of £10pp plus VAT. Course fee includes full seminar, including tastings, study work book and issue of Diploma on successful completion of the course.

Call 01747 825200 or email jilly.sitch@gff.co.uk

LEARN

BE INSPIRED

SUCCEED

SPONSORED BY ®

www.gff.co.uk |

@guildoffinefood

Everything is better with Buffalo Milk!

Buffalo Brie

Buffalo Gouda For our award winning cheeses call 01256 772680 or email sales@laverstokepark.co.uk or visit www.laverstokepark.co.uk

W: keenscheddar.co.uk T: 01963 32286

Ribblesdale Aged Gouda

Winner of a World Cheese Awards Super Gold 2014 Contact us for details of our range of delicious, artisan goats cheeses, including our award-winning Wensum White.

Tel: 01603 880685 Email: sales@fieldingcottage.co.uk Twitter: @fieldingcottage

www.fieldingcottage.co.uk A supplement to Fine Food Digest

Award-win Yorkshire ning Cheeses Ribblesdale Original Goats cheese

Ribblesdale Goats Curd

We are artisan cheese-makers that have produced award-winning goats cheeses since 1978.

For more information on stocking our cheeses, contact us: 01969 667788 or ionahill@gmail.com

How to Run a Successful Cheese Counter 31

Toonsbridge Dairy Buffalo Mozzarella Raw milk, hand spun buffalo mozzarella made from our herd of water buffalo, that graze the lush pastures of the Toon Valley in West Cork, Ireland. Made by our fourth generation Neapolitan buffalo mozzarella cheese maker to traditional methods that include natural whey starters.

Now available for direct delivery within 48hrs of manufacture anywhere in the UK. A selection of our other buffalo cheeses also available including ricotta salata, scamorza, cacio cavallo and haloumi. All available smoked as well.

sales@toonsbridgedairy.com 00353 87 3457790 Our sister company, The Real Olive Company can also supply top quality related Mediterranean products to compliment any orders.

Please visit our website to read our story, view our extensive product range and make contact with us.

www.therealoliveco.com