Speciality-Food-Magazine-September-2024

are a great sellers throughout the year but at Christmas they really shine. Capitalise on the increased interest in decadent flavours by addingmore lines of seasonally relevant flavours like truffle.” Bring out the blues Many would argue that Christmas isn’t Christmas without a wedge of Stilton, and the traditional British blue has held onto its crown of the king of Christmas cheeses with good reason. “Stilton is always the centre of attentionwhen it comes to a Christmas cheeseboard,” says Priya Taylor, brandmarketingmanager at Long Clawson. “Being an iconic festive Dean Holmes, deli and cheese room manager at Friday Street, agrees. “At Christmas time, discipline goes out the window– everyone gives in to their weaknesses and buy larger lumps and wider variety of cheese than they would normally, accompanied with requests for wines, crackers and biscuits that complement them.” In terms of what to stock, Dean has found that year-round best-sellers sell even better at Christmas. “The corner stone for our cheese room is Baron Bigod – it’s our best-seller week in, week out, and at Christmas time customers buy such large quantities. If I was to choose something other than the Baron Bigod it would have to be Alp Blossom. Alp Blossom catches everyone’s attentionwhen they enter the cheese room, with its beautiful confetti-like appearance. It’s a smooth, sweet and gentle Austrian cheese covered in alpine flowers of themountainmeadows.” At I.J. Mellis, director RoryMellis has found that customers are divided into two camps – the regulars and the festive shoppers, both of which require tailored approaches. “So many people just come to us once a year, and they can be quite ritualistic withwhat they buy. It tends to be the customers who are with us all year round that are excited to see something new come in for Christmas.” This experimentation often comes in the formof small goats’ cheeses. “This tends to be their little bit of fun in addition to getting wedges and wheels of the classics, so we always increase our range of little goat’s cheeses for Christmas,” says Rory. These purchases are often impulse ones – shoppers havemore people in the house than usual so are looking for a small, delicious and perhaps adventurous addition to their cheeseboard, and are happy to experiment with cheeses they haven’t tried before. The value of truckles While truckles are a safe stocking bet all year round, they’re even more valuable as the festive season approaches, as Sarah explains. “Firstly, they’re perfect for gifting. A waxed truckle still needs refrigeration but will last longer out of a fridge thanks to their waxed coating. Thismakes them really great for customers taking car journeys up and down the country visiting relatives, as well as the perfect cheese for hampers and gift packs. Secondly, they’ve got fantastic Christmas shelf appeal. Waxed truckles can come in great shapes like Stars which look brilliant in a fridge or on a cheeseboard. Thirdly, they often include great seasonal flavours. Truffle Cheddars cheese, Stilton becomes the king of the cheeseboard, and it pairs very well with festive favourites such as fruits, chutneys and wine.” Stilton is a particularly strong seller during the festive season, and it pays to put some thought into how you can stock it smartly. “You could offer cheese tastings or bite size tasting samples of cheese on a cocktail stick,” suggests Priya. “This could be enhanced with offering tastings with pairings such as fruits, nuts, crackers and wine too. Why not elevate this even further by demonstrating the versatility of Stilton via some Christmas canapes and recipe cards?” While Stiltonwill be at the centre Cheese experts fromacross the industry share their tips on how to add sparkle to your cheese offering this festive season DEAN HOLMES FRIDAY STREET FARM SHOP ROGER LONGMAN WHITE LAKE CHEESE RORY MELLIS I.J. MELLIS DAN BLISS PAXTON & WHITFIELD COMMENTATORS SARAH NORRIS GODMINSTER PRIYA TAYLOR LONG CLAWSON THEARTOF SELLING CHEESE ATCHRISTMAS @specialityfood 50 F or many food lovers, the Christmas cheeseboard comes second only to the turkey when it comes to excitement levels, whichmeans that getting your cheese selection right ahead of the big day is of paramount importance to fine food retailers. Christmas is a time of overindulgence, of course, but by sourcing smartly and knowing what your customer wants – as well as what will surprise and delight them into an impulse purchase or two – you’ll ensure that they’ll leave your premises satisfied by not only their hoard but also by the service you’ve provided. Stock a carefully curated selection generously, and you’ll ensure the return of your regular customers as well as attracting new ones to the fold. Feed the feast “Christmas is a time for feasting and, personally speaking, I’mone of those shoppers that can’t help but buy enough fine cheese to feed a small army. It’s a tradition; there’s almost something built into our DNA telling us that you don’t want to run out of fancy cheese at Christmas!” says Sarah Norris, head of marketing at Godminster. “Joking aside, I think that there is a Venn diagramof wants and needs when it comes to Christmas cheese shopping: shoppers want something traditional, they want something to feel like an indulgent treat, they want something special, and they want something comforting. Cheeses that tick all of those boxes will fly out the fridge doors.” of Christmas cheeseboards up and down the country come Christmas Day, there are amyriad of ways to enjoy it which come into their own during the festive season. “Cooking with Stilton elevates any dish because a little goes a long way. Try crumbling Stilton into your favourite soup, adding some to a cheese toastie, or into a winter warming pie.” Check out the 1912 Artisan Stiltonwebsite for a host of recipes sure to delight your customers. Don’t forget the goats’ cheese Grand Stiltons and savoury Cheddars are stalwarts of the Christmas cheese counter, and with good reason – their full flavours satisfy our festive appetites for rich tastes and familiarity – but ignore the opportunities that goats’ cheeses provide at your peril. “Goats’ cheeses are a great option for the Christmas cheeseboard as they are often a lighter cheese to enjoy compared to the traditional hard and blue cheeses, and have a different flavour profile,” begins Roger Longman, owner of White Lake Cheese. “Also, the pure white of a goats’ cheese is reminiscent of snow,