Fine Cheese & Charcuterie August 2013

The Educated Palate

We need to entice consumers to dig deeper into the world of cheese and charcuterie, and indulge their taste buds. And there is no better way of doing that than through education and organized tastings.

When I think of the evolution of the cheese industry, it reminds me of what is happening in the market with craft beer. First, there is a buildup of demand, which in turn attracts new suppliers to the market who are compelled to come up with more sophisticated techniques and flavors to set themselves apart from all those who came before them. Before you know it, you have a plethora of choices, and the consumer doesn’t know what to drink next. It’s darn near impossible to know one from the other without simply taking a chance and experimenting. Liquor stores have responded by setting up tastings performed by experts in the aisle at a high traffic time. They focus on a category or a region, and offer tastes of a number of different brews produced by different breweries. Without question, more than a majority of the customers who stop to taste end up finding something they like, and it invariably goes into the shopping basket. More importantly, they also go home with an education on the different types of beer that they can share with their friends to demonstrate their mastery of good taste.

Tasting is great, but if we want to impart sophisticated cheese tastes to American consumers, I am suggesting that we need to go beyond a simple sampling program. Let’s take it one step further and offer an impromptu tasting of a themed variety of cheeses and condiments performed by an entertaining and knowledgeable staff member. For instance, a tasting of Gouda with samples ranging from the mild and creamy variety that everyone knows and loves to the 18-month- aged Beemster Gouda, which will undoubtedly delight them if they have never tasted it before (I say this with confidence because I have surprised many in my own home with this same comparison). Offer information to the consumer about the differences in the production technique that explain the difference in taste. While we are at it, we may even educate them on how to pronounce it properly (someone needs to support me on this one, my family still laughs at me). The end result is they have received a mini education, and developed an appreciation and understanding of the variety of cheeses out there, which will ultimately promote familiarity and repeat business.

David Spencer 

Publisher, Gourmet Business 

President, HousewaresDirect, Inc.

dspencer@gourmetbusiness.com