How to sell local cheese

As an independent fine food retailer, no doubt supporting local food and drink producers will be one of the major aims of your establishment. Making sure they have a good outing, that customers are aware of the brilliant produce being created on their doorstep, and giving yourself a unique selling point are just some of the benefits to doing so. If you’re lucky enough to have great cheesemakers in your local area it makes sense to offer them a solid stepping stone – but how to ensure success when it comes to selling local cheese? Jen Grimstone-Jones of Pangbourne Cheese Shop/Cheese Etc and Mark Kacary of The Norfolk Deli share how it should be done. 

Why local cheese matters

With so many excellent cheeses available for indies to stock, from across the world let alone the UK, why should Speciality Food readers give special treatment to those produced close by? “Selling local cheese (and local produce in general) really helps independent retailers to stand out,” explains Jen. “There is a lot of competition when it comes to retail and so anything that an independent shop can do that makes it unique will help it survive. But I think the most important reasons to stock local are that it keeps money in the local area and supports co-operation between local businesses and minimises the impact on the environment.”

It’s worth remembering that fine food retailers are often stopping-off points for people visiting the area, as much as they are regular haunts for some locals, so it makes sense to host local cheeses in order to offer a taste of the locale. “One of the joys of visiting a new area is exploring the local shops and discovering new products,” agrees Jen. “We have quite a few tourists that visit Pangbourne and they are always keen to try cheeses that they may not have come across before, in the same why that whenever we travel we like to pop into the cheesemonger to see what they offer from the local area.”

How to promote local cheese

“One of the most common questions we get asked in the shop is ‘where are your most local cheeses?”, explains Jen. “We’re really lucky in that we have some fantastic award-winning cheesemakers just on our doorstep.” The strongest sellers include Village Maid Cheese, makers of Barkham Blue, Spenwood and Wigmore; Norton & Yarrow, who make Sinodun Hill and Brightwell Ash; and Nettlebed Creamery, creators of Witheridge. “Those three dairies are our closest and we have really good relationships with all of them.” 

At The Pangbourne Cheese Shop/Cheese Etc, local cheeses are displayed in the centre of the cheese counter for ultimate promotion. “It helps that they are all fantastic cheeses and so promoting them is easy!” Offering pairing suggestions goes down well, too, she says. “We sell some really good local wines and we will often pair local cheeses and wines at our tasting events.” Insider intel helps: “One of our members of staff used to work for Village Maid Cheese and as such provides wonderful insights into life at the dairy which our customers love to hear”. 

Be the expert

Being a font of information when it comes to the cheeses you sell, and ideally having a connection with the maker, is one way to get your customers engaged with local cheeses says Mark. “Know your cheeses, and know them well,” he begins. “Ideally know the maker and how they make their cheese, including where their milk comes from. Importantly, know their story – because stories sell!”

Getting to know the ins and outs of the local cheeses that you sell allows you to offer one up as an alternative to a further flung option requested by a customer. “Suggest a local cheese that will offer them something to compare with their internal template,” suggests Mark. “For example, if a customer said they liked Cheddar I would ask if they preferred a harder, more farmhouse style or a softer, creamier Cheddar – based on their answer I would offer a sample of Norfolk Dapple if the preference is for a harder/farmhouse style or Walsingham if the preference is for softer and creamier.” Ultimately, it’s important that you allow customers to try the cheese, “otherwise they will stick to what they know and not try something new,” says Mark.

As much as sharing the knowledge you have about the local cheeses you stock will reap valuable rewards, allowing your customers to come face-to-face with the creators of the cheeses in person is a great move. Mark recommends holding local cheese tasting events, inviting the cheesemakers to come and share their stories and expertise. 

Things to avoid

In terms of what not to do, Mark has some solid advice. “Don’t ignore local cheeses.” While British stalwarts and Continental classics are strong sellers, that’s not to say that a delicious locally-made cheese can’t capture the imagination of cheese-loving locals and tourists – making you into a destination into the bargain. Having cheese shrink wrapped and unavailable to sample is also a no-no – as we all know, trying often leads to buying! And be sure not to drown them in technical detail, as tempting as it is to share all of your knowledge. It’s a question of knowing your audience, suggests Mark. “Remember you are often trying to sell to somebody who knows they like Cheddar, Stilton and a Brie and use these cheeses as their grounding point. Talking about velvety textures, or the flavours of grass etc, will probably not mean anything to them and may even put them off.”