Sampling and Farm Stories Prompt Consumers to Buy Specialty Cheeses

RESEARCH ARTICLE ▲ Sampling and farm stories prompt consumers to buy specialty cheeses Barbara A. Reed Christine M. Bruhn ▼ California specialty cheese makers need information on what drives product sales so they can effectively market their products. Focus group and telephone research revealed Over the past decade, consumers have developed a taste for “artisan” or specialty cheeses. Left, In focus groups, consumers said they rely on store staff and samples to help them choose that specialty cheese consumers new specialty cheeses. Right, Most specialty cheeses are displayed without formal packaging have a strong preference for sam- or fully visible labels. Case cards often describe cheeses without including the price. pling cheese before making a pur- chase. Consumers also rely heavily on staff recommendations to select California’s specialty cheeses are de- on high-end specialty foods, including cheese. They appreciate unlimited scribed as “artisan” cheeses; they are cheese. Although we did not do sampling in an unhurried, low-pres- made by hand in limited quantities and a demographic profile of our inter- sure environment. Specialty cheese possess unique taste and quality char- viewees, in general they were educated, acteristics that differentiate them from well-traveled and made conscious consumers consider themselves other cheeses. Likewise, “farmhouse” or choices about spending “food experimenters”; they value “farmstead” cheeses are made with milk more than the average consumer on narrative descriptions about where from the farm, on the farm. high-quality food. and how the cheese was made and Between 1993 and 2001, production Vertical integration of dairy produc- are not price sensitive in this area of of Hispanic cheeses almost doubled, tion and specialty cheese processing their food purchases. increasing from 34.9 million pounds allows dairy farmers to set prices that to 70.6 million pounds. Production of cover their production costs, rather alifornia’s dairy industry is second other specialty cheeses grew from than act as price takers in the commod- only to Wisconsin’s in cheese 26.9 million pounds to 54.5 million ity marketplace. Some California dairy production.C According to the California pounds. Between 2000 and 2001, His- producers have capitalized on the ex- Department of Food and Agriculture panic cheese production increased by pansion of this market and are creating (CDFA), California produced more 8%, and other specialty cheeses by 10% unique, handmade cheeses, in small- than 1.6 billion pounds of cheese in (CDFA 1998, 2002). scale farmstead operations following 2001. Production is primarily in food The California Milk Advisory Board European traditions. For example, the service (commodity) cheeses such as (CMAB) surveyed more than 50 lead- Pedrozo Dairy and Cheese Company cheddar (34%), Monterey jack (11%) ing restaurants in San Francisco and the near Orland makes a Gouda-style farm- and mozzarella (44%). Hispanic cheeses Napa and Sonoma valley wine regions stead cheese from a small herd of Jersey (including queso fresco, panela, cotija about artisan cheese use in 1995 and cows grazed on pasture. The spring and queso blanco) (4%), other Italian again in 2000. In 1995, none of the res- milk is used for the production of a cheeses (including ricotta, provolone, taurants had a cheese course, and few seasonally available cheese, aged for mascarpone and cacavallo) (3%) and all artisan cheeses appeared on menus. 1 year, called Northern Gold-Black Butte other specialty cheeses (3%) are tracked Now, nearly half of the restaurants list Reserve. The Fiscalini Cheese Company separately. artisan cheeses on the menu as ingre- in Modesto makes traditional 60-pound Commodity cheeses are used for dients, and two-thirds feature cheese wheels of cheddar from their Holstein food service products such as fast-food courses (CMAB 2002). California’s ar- herd; the cheese is cloth-wrapped and tacos or pizza, while specialty cheeses tisan cheeses are also making inroads aged between are a general category of unique chees- into specialty retailers such as Harry 18 months and 2 years. Redwood Hill es. For example, Parmigiano Reggiano and David, and Dean and DeLuca. The Farm in Sebastopol makes several is a well-known specialty cheese made increase in consumption of specialty goat cheeses in a French style. One is a to very exacting standards within one cheeses over the last decade may be California Crottin similar to the French region of Italy; it is identified by the tra- due in part to California’s economic Crottin de Chavignol — a small, cylin- ditional large rounds of cheese stamped boom during the 1990s. People who had drical cheese with a golden-colored ed- with the consortium name. Many of disposable income chose to spend it ible rind. Current U.S. consumption of cheese A B is estimated at about 30 pounds per person annually, a 20% increase since 1990. In California, mozzarella — primarily destined for pizza — represented 44% of all cheese produced in 2001. U.S. consumption still lags behind traditional cheese-loving countries such as France, where the average annual cheese con- Fig. 1. (A) Specialty cheese purchases as a percentage (by weight) of all cheese purchases sumption is 54 pounds per person made by specialty cheese consumers and (B) frequency of specialty cheese purchases, (CMAB 2002). reported in telephone survey (n = 47). Our project was conducted under a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Western Region Sustainable Agriculture participated in four focus groups. Both Currently, cheeses made from raw milk Producer/Marketing Grant, to assist the telephone questionnaires and focus and sold in the United States must be small-scale artisan cheese makers. The group questions were developed with aged for at least 60 days. Many produc- objective was to gather information the assistance of dairy farmers who also ers of artisan cheeses want to preserve about the shopping habits and opinions produce specialty cheese, CMAB mar- traditional cheese-making methods that of specialty cheese consumers that will keting personnel and independent food include the use of raw milk, although help cheese makers develop successful industry consultants. the debate in the United States centers strategies to target that market segment. on whether the 60-day aging require- Not your typical shopper We conducted telephone surveys, focus ment effectively reduces pathogens. At group interviews and in-store consumer Before the telephone interviews be- this time, cheeses made from unpas- evaluations of point-of-sale materials. gan, consumers were read a definition teurized milk (either U.S. or imported The telephone survey and focus of specialty cheese. It read in part: ”An origin) must be aged a minimum of 60 group participants were recruited example of specialty cheese is a farm- days to be legal. We included a question through sign-up sheets posted at spe- stead cheese made in limited quantities about raw milk cheeses in the phone cialty food departments in one gour- by hand. It can be imported or domes- survey and a more general question in met specialty store in Chico and one tic, is usually sold by the pound and the focus groups to learn whether spe- grocery store each in Sacramento and the customer decides how much he or cialty cheese consumers perceived them San Francisco. Forty-seven telephone she will buy.” The telephone interviews as a health risk. interviews were conducted in which revealed that the self-identified spe- Consumption of cheeses made from consumers were asked about the types cialty cheese consumers are dedicated raw milk was not a concern for the ma- of cheese they purchased, the coun- to the specialty-cheese market segment, jority of people we spoke with. Among try or region of origin, frequency and with 48% purchasing specialty cheeses those interviewed, 45% did not know if quantities purchased, and awareness of (rather than commodity cheeses) 75% the cheeses they purchased were made cheese manufacturing practices related of the time (fig. 1A). Nine percent shop with pasteurized milk and hadn’t ever to raw milk. Of those surveyed, 34 also for specialty cheeses several times each thought about it. Another 38% knew week, and another 38% at least once a they purchased raw milk cheeses and TABLE 1. Percentage of specialty cheese week (fig. 1B). These buying habits are did not have health-related concerns consumers (n = 47) who purchased not typical of today’s consumer, who (table 1). various cheese, including those made looks for convenience in food purchas- Varieties purchased. Most varieties from non-pasteurized (raw) milk ing and preparation. Specialty cheese of specialty cheese, as categorized by consumers are buying small quanti- production method, were consumed by Milk class % ties (75% usually purchased less than more than 90% of those interviewed. Cow 100 a pound) and are concerned about its Examples of cheese production types Goat or sheep 96 freshness and quality. When asked to are veined cheeses (Roquefort), soft Manufacturing method identify the cheese’s country or region surface-ripened cheeses (Brie) or fresh Aged hard cheeses of origin, most identified Europe (57%), cheeses (chevre). The only category (Parmesan, Asiago, Gouda) 98 Veined cheeses followed by California (32%) and other with a consumption rating below 90% (Roquefort, Stilton, blue) 94 United States (11%). was “fresh cheeses” (68%). This cat- Soft surface-ripened cheeses Raw milk cheeses. The USDA has egory may have been underreported, (Brie, Camembert) 91 considered changing laws related to the as the majority responded in the affir- Fresh cheeses (chevre, queso blanco) 68 production of raw milk cheeses (those mative to buying goat and sheep milk Pasteurization process made from unpasteurized milk) because cheeses, and the majority of goat milk Purchased raw milk cheeses (any type)? Yes 38 fresh cheeses (those that are not aged) cheeses on the market are fresh chees- No 17 made from raw milk have been associ- es.

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