Speciality Food Magazine JulyAugust 2024

@specialityfood 28 them, and we’re here to give them inspiration.” TimCollings, area sales manager at Rowcliffe, says he’s also noticed the impact of a younger generation of shoppers. “Customers are telling me they’re constantly being asked ‘what’s new?’, and they’re really having to push on innovation and new products more than ever before. I think it’s a sign of a really good deli that people want to come in and push the boundaries a bit more.” These shoppers are also asking about pairings, and “what is becoming apparent is people are looking for ideas for what they can do with a cheese,” Tim adds. “Whether it’s melting or grilling it, or the recipes they canmake with it, rather than just having it on a cheeseboard.” The sustainable message One of the most noticeable shifts in the specialist cheese sector, from a consumer perspective, is a leaning to, and preference for more sustainable, natural products. With ultra processed foods (UPF) the topic du jour amongst scientists, health gurus, doctors, and everyone in between, cheesemongers, cheesemakers and farmers say they are being asked more than ever before about their milk, animal welfare, and environmental impact. This heightened interest is giving even further weight and credence to organic and regenerative cheeses, which are being considered more frequently by wholesalers, retailers and buyers. Tim says to align with this shift in consumer buying and satisfy demand, Rowcliffe has added new lines such as Organic Herd, Golden Hooves and The Ethical Dairy. “How our food is produced is under the spotlight more than ever, so as the regenerative movement continues to gainmomentum, we know it’s crucial to take consumers on this journey with us,” says Leona Mcdonald of Golden Hooves. Leona says the brand’s recent consumer surveys confirm shoppers are more likely to purchase eco- friendly products, with 25.1% of those asked stating sustainable credentials are one of the most important factors in choosing a dairy product. But, most importantly, these claims need to be trusted.” Quality and taste remain at the top of shoppers’ lists, Leona continues, noting commitment to sustainability and animal welfare have the potential to be a big factor in purchasing decisions, illustrated by 77.5% of survey respondents saying they would be more likely to buy dairy products made using regeneratively farmed ingredients. “We’d like to move the conversation onto the next stage from ‘where was it farmed?’ to ‘howwas it farmed?’. Opening up these discussions and consumer awareness of the difference is vital when considering that the lot of the planet, animals and people should all be enhanced by improvements to agricultural food production,” Leona says. “The future of our farms and the nation’s food security, including the stability of milk supply, are all reliant on what we do today. This means paying a fair price, while encouraging better and better farming practices.” Cheese expert Charlie Turnbull says specialist cheesemongers should have “a ladder all the way from just above the supermarkets, up to the greatest artisan cheeses”. It is essential, he adds, to cater to a diverse customer base. Essentially – don’t cut off your nose to spite your face. “There will be someone different on each rung of the cheese ladder, and you want to reach people on every rung. Truckles are part of that conversation. They’re a really good spontaneous purchase, they’re great for longevity, and they’re also really good as gifts. I can’t think of anyone who doesn’t like them. It’s a totally safe pair of hands and an easy win for the customer.” Charlie notes too the attractive price point of truckles, at around £6 to £12 “which is bang in the gifting range”. If customers enjoy that impulse truckle they’ve popped in their basket quickly, avoiding eye contact because they’re too shy to talk cheese, there is a high likelihood they’ll return, Charlie adds - either for a repeat purchase, or to venture into something new. The key is to buy the best because “quality really does matter”. Godminster was one of the first cheesemakers to craft artisanal waxed cheeses and Sarah Norris says this is an area of growth in the cheese world, as consumers spend more time thinking about the provenance of their food, with premiumisation key to this part of the market. “There was a period of time 20 to 25 years ago when cheese that wouldn’t make the grade was put into wax as a means of finding a home for it. At that point some products had additives, but those were there to cover up the imperfections of those cheeses,” she says. “I’m confident we were the first premium brand to take a good quality cheese and put it in wax, and it has been organic from the start. We’ve never wavered from that ethos. We always use 12 to 14-month Cheddar across our range from one source.” Cheaper, ‘novelty’ truckles, Sarah says have the effect of “slightly degrading” the market. Godminster’s Jessica Kimber Holloway, adds, “Some will go for interesting cheese rather than quality cheese and make that their MO. It’s a shame, because it’s pushing, when we’re pulling.” Sarah agrees with Charlie that some retailers don’t feel truckles deserve a place in the artisan sector, however “the public need to be the ones who judge this, rather than the cheese industry. The cheese industry can be a bit elitist which is kind of unfair, because there are some amazing cheeses from a lot of different makers, in lots of different formats. We have to be able to give consumers choice.” DON’T UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF TRUCKLES It doesn’t pay to be snobbish about waxed truckle cheeses, say insiders, particularly with demand for premium versions on the up. “If your cheese is a good cheese, customers will come back,” Jessica says. “When it comes to waxed cheese, it’s a crowd pleaser. It’s something that’s going to appeal to a five-year-old as much as a 95-year-old. A lot of cheeses have complicated flavours which take a while to appreciate. There needs to be a bit of educating that you can still sell the crowd pleaser and it’s not undermining or selling out, or downgrading your cheese counter. You’re showing you have a portfolio of cheeses, and a range of different styles.” Jessica also says, with Christmas buying in full swing, it’s worth remembering the value of waxed truckles for hampers. “They have a longer shelf life, and they have the wax for protection. It makes them a good option when curating a gift set or box.” Clawson, best known for the production of cheeses such as Stilton and Rutland Red, has invested heavily in waxed truckles this year, viewing its new premium range as a futureproofing tool the business, tapping into an area of serious upward growth, especially with younger shoppers. “We noticed that the volumes of cheese in the market aren’t going up, but that truckles break that rule and buck the trend,” says Clawson’s Heather Lewis. “Through our own market research we saw a gap for very premium truckles offering flavours with a twist, but not so odd that people wouldn’t recognise them.” The team spent a long time perfecting the recipes, and designing characterful branding that links to the ‘personality’ of each product – each having its own story, feeding into consumer desire to really ‘connect’ with what they’re eating. Heather hopes this level of care, attention and quality resonates with speciality retailers who she, alongside Charlie, Jess and Sarah, thinks can be too quick to make assumptions about waxed cheeses can offer. “What’s inside matters. If retailers don’t have a premium truckle range, they are missing out. They are an excellent touchpoint cheese that’s accessible to everyone.”