Fine Cheese & Charcuterie March / April 2012

It’s great to see the ever-expanding varieties of cheeses being offered in my local stores. Choice is certainly a wonderful thing, but too much of a good thing can make it more difficult for a consumer to make a decision. It’s important to consider as a retailer what you can do to organize your cheese assortment together with signage or other collateral material to help the consumer better understand the differences in cheeses and make more informed choices. In addition, I would like to see more instances of retailers and manufacturers working together to suggest and encourage interesting pairings to enhance the enjoyment of cheese.

In France, and increasingly in other parts of the world, they treat cheese as a separate course, an integral part of a complete meal. Usually you are not presented with a plain plate of cheese. What you get is a plate containing a creative assortment of cheeses with specific accompaniments to enhance the flavor and overall experience of each of the cheese selections. Just as wine can take on a whole new meaning when paired properly with a meal that contains complementary flavors, it’s amazing how simple condiments can transform the cheese experience.

Now that specialty cheeses are in greater demand in the United States, I think it’s time for us to help consumers elevate the experience to the next level. Why not help consumers treat cheese as part of the meal instead of a side dish? We should do everything we can to promote habits that increase consumption and, at the same time, enhance the experience.

In this issue, we identify some of the wonderful shelf-stable condiments that are readily available and pair perfectly with cheese. I encourage you to consider both the add-on-sale nature of these items, as well as what they can do to inspire a consumer to discover the pairings of flavors and textures that will increase their satisfaction and lead to further experimentation. I believe an eclectic presentation at point of sale will boost your sales by creating curiosity and interest that will, in turn, draw a customer into the myriad flavors waiting to be discovered. Don’t forget that charcuterie and salumi can also be perfect cheese partners in many instances.

If you already have a sampling program, you may want to consider offering some of these condiments to sample at the same time. If you choose carefully, I believe you will find that most consumers will be likely to buy both. More importantly, you will guide your cheese buyers down a path that will lead to greater satisfaction and create a new appreciation and enjoyment of cheese as part of the meal.