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French cheese is seeing resurgence in popularity, regaining its glory days

BY T.ELIZABETH BLANCO

rance is a top travel destina- Holland and Italy began sending their tion for Americans who to the United States, while France then search out French stopped promoting theirs. However, all that Fcheeses when they return is changing — and in a big way. stateside. And, like wine, According to The French Cheese Club, these products offer a wide range of flavors, an association of five family-owned French profiles and origins. For years, specialty fromageries specializing in the production of cheese and, most certainly, imported cheese, traditional French cheeses, French cheese were synonymous with France. However, imports are up 12 percent for the first four as years passed, England, Ireland, Spain, months of 2010 as compared to 2009.

36 DELI BUSINESS JUNE/JULY 2010 PHOTO COURTESY OF DCI CHEESE COMPANY FEATURE

life, giving retailers extra days specialty at Atlanta Foods International, to get imports into the mouths Atlanta, GA, Whole Foods has done well of their consumers while the with French cheeses, as has King Soopers in cheese is still in peak condition. Colorado and Harmons in Utah. However, there are still challenges. “We’ve been suffer- Retail Challenges ing due to the recession,” says Retailers selling cheese that originates in Pascal Vaydie, import sales France face a number of obstacles. In addi- director at Lactalis USA, New tion to marketing a relatively high-priced York, NY.“The price of domes- product, retailers have difficulty coming to tic milk was low last year and terms with the longer procurement time. “It the euro was high. We’ve also can take between five and six weeks for the seen some volume transfers cheese to be shipped by boat, so spur-of-the- from import to domestic prod- moment purchasing requests are difficult,” ucts but the situation seems to Druhot says.“And, we still need to give stores be turning around this year.” at least a couple of weeks to sell the cheese.” Still, this category provides Limited shelf life after procurement can many options for retailers. hinder a deli department looking to carry a France has a wider variety and large selection of French cheeses. “Shelf life range of cheeses than any is short once the product comes in from other country, The French France,” according to Delannes. “It’s best to Cheese Club reports, including carry a smaller selection of 10 to 20 top- unique cheeses that can’t be quality cheeses.” duplicated elsewhere. “French- Proper handling is another difficult issue style American-made cheeses for many retailers. There are plenty of very are very good, but French orig- stable French cheeses, but many cheeses inals have to be part of a well- require careful handling in order to please rounded deli program,” says customers. Cecile Delannes, spokesperson “French cheese is the hardest to handle, for The French Cheese Club. due to its instability and short shelf life,” “The two French cheese Lukas says. “Those delis that handle it suc- types with the largest volume cessfully are ahead of the game.” in deli are and fresh goat Along with shelf life, pricing has been an cheese,”Vaydie says. issue in the current economy. Whether “Brie is a standard, but shipped by water or flown into the U.S., the many stores carry more than cost of freight can be a significant factor. Of one type of Brie, such as triple and double crème varieties,” says Larry Lukas, agent for France-based Dexpa, a French French Cheese cheese manufacturer. , a logical next Types Increased at-home consumption and con- step for Brie lovers, is catching on. Triple sumer interest for healthy and less processed crème cheeses, such as Délice de Bourgogne, SOFT SEMI-SOFT food has had a positive impact on the French also sell well as does Comté, a mountain Brie segment. cheese adaptable to cooking as well as eating. Brillat-Savarin Raclette The renewed interest in French cheeses is More sophisticated American palates are Camembert Saint-Nectaire no surprise considering the overall growth of demanding stronger cheeses, such as Chaource specialty cheese in the United States. In addi- washed-rinds. “People are looking for strong, Époisses HARD tion to literally hundreds of new cheeses traditional French cheeses, such as Époisses, Langres Beaufort being imported from Europe, American has Affidelice and Trou Du Cru,”adds Delannes. Livarot Cantal its own burgeoning cheese industry. From Along with bolder flavors, U.S. con- Mont d’Or Comté coast to coast, small artisanal cheesemakers sumers are seeking cheese with more char- Munster Emmental are producing high-quality cheeses, which acter.“Trends we’re seeing include mountain Neufchâtel end up in local stores, restaurants and farm- cheese made from sheep’s milk or a mixture Pont l’Evêque ers markets. Put it all together and the classic of cow’s and sheep’s milk,” says Dominique Saint-Félicien and not-so-classic French cheeses are poised Delugeau, senior vice president of sales and Saint-Marcellin BLUE to regain their once dominant position. marketing at DCI Cheese Company, Rich- Bleu d’Auvergne New technologies are allowing pasteur- field, WI. “More people also are exposed to Fourme d’Ambert ized milk cheeses like Brie and Camembert cheese from the Alps.” to more closely resemble their classic raw- Upscale chains have been instrumental in milk counterparts. Better transportation exposing consumers to French cheeses. Source: Cheeses of France methods and packaging have extended self According to Todd Druhot, dairy and cheese

JUNE/JULY 2010 DELI BUSINESS 37 FEATURE course, the value of the euro has not helped, but its recent plunge against the dollar should make all E.U. cheeses more affordable, at least in the near term.. “Delis should not switch to domestic just because it is cheaper,” stresses Ingrid Prinz, export director for France’s Fromagerie Henri Hutin. “Even during economic hard times, people will still spend money on the good imported cheese.”

Added Visibility Because many American consumers have limited knowledge of French cheese, proper marketing and merchandising is imperative to selling these products. “Staff training is very important and demos are key. Marketing kits with flyers and recipes should be utilized,” says Delannes of The French Cheese Club. At Wegmans, she notes, ready-to-serve cheese platters with signs draw in new French cheese consumers. Some chains have brought in a cheese expert to educate consumers. Asides from the obvious need for knowledge, the expert should be passionate about the cheeses. And since the more obscure varieties can be intimi- dating, retailers can use demos to relieve con- PHOTO OF COURTESY THE CHEESES OF FRANCE sumer anxiety about trying something new. Retailers can draw on organizations for and suppliers. Its website will announce the Cross-merchandising is also effective marketing assistance. The Cheeses of France demos, and each will have a weekly prize for when promoting French cheese in the deli. is currently running a promotional campaign consumers participating in the “Win a Dinner The most obvious complement is French for the fourth consecutive year, offering for 2” sweepstakes. An online advertising wine, but the cheeses can also be paired with point-of-sale materials and demos to retailers spot will be featured throughout the year. crackers, fruit and a variety of items. “The best way I’ve seen it merchandised is in portable refrigerators. Delis can include one or two French cheese varieties, along with imported butter, and place it next to the fresh bread display,” Dexpa’s Lukas says. “Also, stores merchandise crème cheeses next to strawberries.” Physical positioning within the store is crucial. “Location also is important,”Atlanta’s Druhot adds. “Having the cheese in two locations increases the sales potential.” The layout of the French cheese display also impacts sales. “Every retailer has differ- ent philosophy on how to retail specialty cheese,” says Chris Huey, vice president retail sales, Atlanta Foods. Some arrange cheese by country of origin, while others cat- egorize products by texture, such as soft to hard. “Another school of thought is to mer- chandise cheese by usage, such as snacking, entertaining, ingredients for cooking, etc.” Whatever the display order, the case must be kept clean and product regularly rotated. Signage also is important. “Using these cheeses in deli recipes is the ultimate merchandising technique,” accord- ing to Fromagerie Henri Hutin’s Prinz. “It’s a great way to win new customers and keep the old ones.” DB PHOTO OF COURTESY THE FRENCH CHEESE CLUB

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