Fine Cheese & Charcuterie May / June 2012

The Gourmet Business team attended SIAL Canada last week in Montreal and had a chance to see more than 600 exhibitors from both sides of the border. We would like to congratulate the SIAL organization for staging a great show. It is a unique show for us because we often discover great companies based in Canada that are seeking to expand their distribution into the U.S. market. Since there aren’t many barriers to trade between our two countries, it is quite simple for a U.S.-based retailer to source from Canada without much complication, and there are many great companies just waiting to be discovered.

On our way to Montreal, we drove through Vermont, where the dairy cows dotted the green hillsides grazing on tender grass and enjoying the fine view. Soon the mountains gave way to an expansive plain of dark fertile soil from the Canadian border into Quebec province. As we made our way across the farmland around dusk, thousands of acres of fields were being prepared for a new harvest by large industrial tractors with their lights blazing. I couldn’t help but think how lucky we are to have such an abundant source of quality local food supply. As I walked the aisles of SIAL the next day and saw the finished products that had been created from these locally produced ingredients, it gave me a greater appreciation for the quality of the goods. It also made me realize that consumers need to understand that the farm-to-table movement should not just be focused on local fresh vegetables, but also products made utilizing the same resources, including cheese.

It seems that cheese is the ultimate vehicle for getting fresh milk into the mouths of consumers who desire to eat food made with fresh and wholesome ingredients. Yet, I seldom see it being marketed this way. I think it’s probably difficult to tell that story incorporated into the packaging, so the challenge is going to ultimately fall to the retailer. Perhaps retailers and suppliers of cheese can collaborate on POS signage or some other medium to highlight the benefits of consuming cheese, particularly focusing on its ability to deliver fresh ingredients to market.

I also see more and more restaurants following the farm-to-table trend by highlighting their use of local ingredients on their menus, even identifying the source by name. I expect that more restaurants will begin to recognize that cheese can be another fresh ingredient that can be added to menu offerings to further enhance the flavor and freshness of the dishes coming out of the kitchen. For this reason, we chose to focus on the use of cheese in foodservice in this issue. We also highlight Asiago, and provide some education on one of the world’s great food ingredients.

We hope you find the issue informative. If you have any comments or suggestions, we welcome your feedback.