6: PRIMULA
sale of the cheese spread would bring in such high profits that it was in the creditors’ best interests to allow production to continue even after a bankruptcy.22 This was the only way the company would be able to pay off its debts.
Race against the clock It was a race against the clock. The bankruptcy could not be prevented, but, when it finally happened at the end of May 1924, almost everything was in place. A new company was formed just a month later.23 They bought the most important production equipment belonging to the estate and kept the head office. The most important suppliers were still on board, convinced that the processed soft cheese would be a huge success. They were right. In 1925, the problems were largely solved and Primula was launched on the international market with the Norwegian and foreign press in attendance, along with the US General Consul in Norway. The presentation took place during a Christmas lunch organised by one of Norway’s most prominent restaurants at that time, Bristol in Oslo. They originally presented two cheeses, Primula and Rosa, as part of an elegant buffet. According to Kavli, the cheese spread had already won popularity in far-flung countries such as China and Egypt. The trademarks were registered the following year.24 The presentation came at the twelfth hour. The German ‘Adler’ and the Austrian ‘Alma’ were launched on the market only a few months later, although Alma had been making a harder type of processed cheese since 1921. Their image and design of the box was very similar to Primula’s. The box was half-moon shaped and had a drawing of a dairymaid in national costume.25 There was a heated discussion about plagiarism and the Austrians threatened to file a lawsuit. However, in the end no one took the case to court.
Victory! Kavli had won the race to be the first producer of long-life, soft cheese. At least that is what many people believed. However, from the above, we can see that the product was developed in stages with several producers involved. It would therefore be more appropriate to say that Kavli was one of the first to produce a processed soft cheese of satisfactory quality with an adequate shelf-life. It is also possible that Kavli was the first to develop this type of cheese with a mild and good taste. One of the foremost experts on dairy production, Dr Albert Meyer, said in 1961 that Norway laid ‘the foundations for a processed cheese industry’.26 Thus, Kavli could defend its place in the history. The company won both recognition and a big share of the market. Consequently, the door was open for growth, even though competitors soon developed products of competitive quality. Kavli received a number of complaints about the products in the beginning. Most of the feedback was very positive, however. Emphasis was placed on further development, and the product became available in different flavours. But
German ‘Adler’ cheese came on the market just a few months after Primula. This is its label from 1955.
In contrast to the first Primula girl (see page 65), this one is holding a large bouquet of primroses. The national costume with a heart on the front and the smile on the girl’s face are the same, however.
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