Fine Cheese & Charcuterie November / December 2012

It is once again the season for holiday entertaining, where hors d’oeuvres and tasty finger food reign supreme. This is a perfect opportunity for fine cheeses to be the star of the show and the hit of the party. We want to ensure that consumers everywhere have the opportunity to build a sophisticated cheese presentation for their guests that brings the cheese experience to a new level.  It is up to the merchants to help the cheese shopper by merchandising a full assortment of cheese complements, including the basics, such as crackers and flat breads, as well as chutneys and nuts that will make their cheese platter extra-special. The holiday season is a tremendous selling opportunity for cheese retailers but, more importantly, it also serves as an opportunity to draw more consumers into the world of fine cheese by provid- ing such an enjoyable experience that they desire to replicate the experience more often. I plead with you that merchandising should not just be a holiday inspiration. Let’s use the season as an excuse to put merchandising at the top of the list! To that end, James gives you a helping hand in this issue with some practical suggestions as well as products that will hopefully inspire you and give you some new ideas to improve your merchandising, too.

It is timely that we are focusing on merchandising at the point of purchase this month because, in my travels recently, I have gone to grocery stores in different parts of the country seek- ing some cheeses to bring home to family and friends. Being nominated as the cheese ambassador for the family, it’s my responsibility to bring some special cheeses that I know are unique and exceptional for these family gatherings and parties. It is also expected that, along with the cheese, I will find some unusual condiments for pairing as well as some bread or crackers to complete the presentation. To my excitement, I found some great cheeses in the local supermarket chains (I succumbed to my urge for some Rogue River Blue along with a few other favorites). What was surprising was that I had to struggle to find something as simple as a cracker to serve the cheese on. Right there at the cheese case, there were no crackers, no flatbread ... zilch, nothing. I looked everywhere, assuming my eyes were just not spotting it. I finally gave up and asked someone. They directed me to an aisle on the other side of the store where they kept their cracker selection, which was, by the way, very basic. My Rogue is way too good for an average cracker! My desire to do better drove me to a different store, in which I found the Lesley Stowe’s Date and Almond Raincoast Crisps, which worked really well with the blue, by the way.

Please assure me you won’t let this happen in your store or department. Anyone who knows me understands that I am a determined individual, and I will make the trek to the other side to find those crackers (or, in this case, another store), but I assure you many customers would have put the cheese down in frustration and walked on. We can do better; let’s not lose this opportunity.

Happy holidays everyone! See you next year.

David Spencer

Publisher Gourmet Business

 President, HousewaresDirect, Inc.

dspencer@gourmetbusiness.com