Speciality-Food-Magazine-November-December-2024

OXFORD CHEESE OXFORD BLUE A semi-hard, smooth English cow’s milk blue with a long flavour profile boasting spicy notes and hints of dark chocolate and tarragon. oxfordcheese.co.uk SHEPHERDS PURSE ORGANIC YORKSHIRE BLUE An award-winning blue made with organic Yorkshire milk. The cheese has a melting, buttery, creamy quality with a herbaceous, savoury nature. shepherdspurse.co.uk specialityfoodmagazine.com 33 to avoid waste.” Tell shoppers how they can use blue cheese as a seasoning, Patrick adds, tapping into its salty, peppery nature. Or explain how they can “mix it with butter to create a creamy blue cheese sauce that works wonderfully with steak”. Sampling is a must, Priya says. “Customers love to try before they wanting to knowwhere their food comes from and who is behind it,” Caroline continues. “In contrast to ultra processed foods with global supply chains, speciality blue cheese, with its short supply chain and artisanal methods, offers an authentic food experience that’s rooted in tradition and community.” Younger consumers “do appreciate this craftsmanship,” Caroline thinks. “The artistry, care, passion and precision needed to produce a quality blue cheese comes through in the experience of the product. By showcasing these factors in engaging ways, the speciality cheese sector can inspire the loyalty of, and create new champions for, this wonderful cheese category.” How to sell more blue cheese There’s, of course, no magic wand in retail. But there are lots of initiatives retailers can take to boost sales. “I think it’s always important to talk to people about how blue cheese can be used in recipes,” says Patrick, echoing the thoughts of Priya and Caroline. “It can be used in lots of different dishes MAKING LEFTOVERS MATTER If you have a cafe or restaurant offering on site, or operate a kitchen, whipping up your own deli goods, blue cheese offcuts (from facing up or products close to end of date) can be transformed in myriad ways... adding value, reducing waste, and ringing additional revenue through the till. Why not try: Making potted Stilton. A delicious upsell to produce just before Christmas. Blend half Stilton to unsalted butter, adding a couple of spoonfuls of booze (think Port, brandy or whisky) per 200g of cheese. Dried cranberries or snippets of rosemary are nice finishing touches. Sell in individual ramekins or scoop from a large pot. Baking batches of blue cheese biscuits. Drier, crumbly edges of cheese might not have the texture customers desire, but they still taste superb tumbled into a shortbread recipe and cut into festive shapes ready for gifting. Bring a festive feel to your onsite eatery by adding the faced off pieces of Stilton to mac and cheese, or even beef stews and casseroles to bolster their flavour. STOCK CHECK S P E C I A L I T Y F O O D M A G A Z I N E * 2 0 2 4 * BUTLER’S FARMHOUSE CHEESES BLACKSTICKS EVERY DAY The unmistakable, savoury, umami, rich and creamy taste of Blacksticks Original but in an even more versatile format which can be sliced and grated. butlerscheeses.co.uk CLAWSON FARMS 1912 ARTISAN STILTON PDO Blue Stilton, crafted with sustainable British milk from Clawson Farms’ member farmers. This blue delivers layers of flavour, an intense tanginess and a gentle crumble. 1912.co.uk buy, and if they enjoy delicious- tasting cheese, together with learning about its journey to the shop, they’re more likely to buy it. “Bring in some pairing ideas too. Or prepare some mini canapes using blue cheese to hand out. Those are both effective, as is handing out recipe cards to encourage shoppers to use blue cheese differently.” In contrast to ultra processed foods with global supply chains, speciality blue cheese, with its short supply chain and artisanal methods, offers an authentic food experience that’s rooted in tradition and community CAROLINE BELL, SHEPHERDS PURSE