Artisan Cheese in 2022

SPECIAL REPORT MAGAZINE SPECIALITYFOOD 6 S mall town cheese shops and delis are perfectly placed to cut down on transportation costs. Locally sourcing directly fromdairies and other nearby producers gives specialist retailers an edge over supermarkets in this crisis. Curd & Cure’s Jessica sees a lot to be positive about amid the doom and gloom of the crisis. “Over recent years the support for Britishmade cheese in the market has rapidly spiked. In response to this we have been able to partner withmore up and coming dairies and connect themwith our retailers and chefs. Despite the effects of cost of living and costs to business increases, we are confident that this support for British and artisanmakers will continue. There will, of course, be consumers who choose this as a luxury. But we are confident that by having a wide variety of options and sharing the story of the producer, customers are happy to invest in their local and wider British economy and support these dairies.” At Country Cheeses in Topham, Essex, they see this crisis as an opportunity to build tighter bonds in their businesses and they remain positive about the future of cheese in the UK. “We can really focus our relationship building with our strong and very loyal customer foundation, who enjoy and will continue to enjoy the experience of our shops,” says Gary Jungheim at Country Cheeses. Customer service and sustainability play a big part in the future of food businesses for Gary. “Customers can have as much or as little as they wish which has become more important now from a cost perspective, but it also helps when we’re looking into reducing waste.” So far they’ve been lucky at Country Cheeses and Gary is philosophical about the future. “We haven’t noticed a change in shopping habits with our present customers, and we look forward to welcoming new customers who want to invest in a better product which returns more value in food, and social and economic terms alike. While prices will rise on all food, you get spades more return from artisan and small producers nearer to home.” For online retailers the benefits are clear. Not only do they bask in the absence of overheads and the minimising of the rising costs of energy, they can also offer a service to those customers who are choosing to stay at home more. As the staycation bubble withers a little because of costs, staying home might be where inroads can be made and online shopping could build back to pandemic levels. Although ultimately people want a return to their pre pandemic lives, the cost of living crisis is holding them back from fully embracing this. It does seem, however, that the desire to shop locally is strong, even if that is online shopping. Katie Kitiri from Yumbles online deli sees a lot of support for buying British. “While we have seen that demand for cheese has slowed down in the last couple of months, we are optimistic that ultimately the consumer trends towards quality over quantity and supporting small British businesses like those on Yumbles will prevail and sustain our fantastic producers in the toughmonths ahead.” Svetlana at The Cheese Lady agrees and believes it’s the desire for good quality food that keeps customers coming back. “I’m sure that rising food prices have made some consumers hesitant to buy products that they would consider a luxury. The cost of living crisis is definitely a big concern for everyone, especially in the food sector. But I’d like to think that good wholesome food will always be in demand.” Looking ahead Food services and businesses can take comfort from some encouraging statistics from the School of Marketing. Whereas in 2018-2020, 90.37 food businesses failed for every 100 that began, in 2020 to 2022 that figure fell to 80.51. It’s a similar story in retail where the number was 79.75 in the years between 2018 and 2020 and 69.94 in the years 2020 to 2022. Although the current cost of living crisis is still playing out and the future is uncertain, many producers, distributors and retailers are seeing a lot to be optimistic about. At Country Cheeses building and maintaining relationships in the business at all levels is vital, and supporting each other has never beenmore important than it is now. “We have always been supportive of small, local, artisanmakers and our future plan is to continue to do just that,” says Gary. “We have extremely strong relationships with our cheesemakers based on years and years of close communication, regular visits to collect cheese, catch up and a mutual respect for a fine product. These guys are the future, not just for the cheeses WHEREAS IN 2018 – 2020 90.37 FOOD BUSINESSES FAILED FOR EVERY 100 THAT BEGAN , IN 2020 TO 2022 THAT FIGURE FELL TO 80.51. IT’S A SIMILAR STORY IN RETAIL WHERE THE NUMBER WAS 79.75 IN THE YEARS BETWEEN 2018 AND 2020 AND IS 69.94 IN THE YEARS 2020 TO 2022 SOURCE: THE SCHOOL OF MARKETING SEARCHING FOR SILVER LININGS The cost-of-living crisis isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, and businesses have to find the chinks in the armour of this towering issue. There are many benefits to shopping small and as the trend for consumers to stay local continues, delis and farm shops can benefit from this. By continuing the valuable work they did during the pandemic, and continuing to innovate, there could be light within the darkness for indies. they make but also for the jobs and local employment they offer too.” Such an uncertain future canmake planning ahead feel precarious, but in a business where nothing is ever certain and in times where we have all learned to adapt, what the cheese sector has in abundance is resilience and determination. Gary from Country Cheeses believes history has a lot to teach us and that the traditions of cheesemaking and cheese- mongering will prove to be the map that leads the cheese sector through this crisis. “The best way to plan ahead is by reflecting on the past and focusing on what’s really important – tradition, quality, value for money and encouraging small scale food production. Less miles equals more food security. Artisan is always artisan, so even during difficult circumstances quality won’t be sacrificed as it will in mass food production.” Awide variety of products and a variety of ways to sell it will clear a pathway through the fires for cheese businesses at all levels. As we move from covid to the cost of living crisis, the issues may change, but a response of flexibility and an ability to change with changing times, will bring light to the cheese sector in the UK. “It is undoubtably going to be a time of change,” says Jessica at Curd & Cure, “but we are confident that by offering ranges which cater both to the more price sensitive end of the market, and those with a higher price point, with the quality, provenance, and story to back this up, retailers will be able to position themselves to ensure they are catering to a wider variety of needs. Britain now produces more varieties of cheese than France and with constant innovation in the market both in dairy and non-dairy, there is plenty to keep consumers engaged and excited in our flourishing industry.”