SF-June-20

specialityfoodmagazine.com The natural choice for cheese B ritain may be edging its way out of lockdown, but that’s not stopping foodies from indulging in one of their favourite indulgences: fine cheese. When they’re purchasing items from the other side of the counter, it’s relatively easy to be confident that they leave your establishment with a cheese they enjoy, that’s in perfect condition, and with the knowledge that will allow them to care for the cheese at home in order to serve it at its best. When they’re buying from you from the other side of a computer screen or phone call, however, it gets a little more complicated. How do you ensure that the product reaches its destination in optimum condition? Howmuch insider information should you arm there is a fine balance between what’s needed and what’s affordable.” FINALLY, PERFECTING THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE While it’s likely that shoppers purchasing cheese from a specialist retailer will know a thing or two about at-home cheese care, it’s sensible – not to mention great customer service – to offer some care recommendations and pairing suggestions to make sure they enjoy your cheese as much as possible. Homage2Fromage’s Nick sends “some complimentary chutneys and jellies that we think will go well with the cheeses ordered,” but don’t go so far as to prescribe specific beverages to consume with their cheese: “we tell them to drink what they enjoy,” he says. “Generally speaking, apart from specific cheese boxes, it’s almost impossible to create tasting notes for each package that is sent out,” explains Mark. Instead, The Norfolk Deli’s website is well-stocked with tasting notes and descriptions of the cheeses they sell, so customers are directed to the site for any such specific questions. “When you’re two people running a business which has to do more than just sell cheese (as we need to) then we rely on the fact that people will have read the details on the website, and of course can return to it later if needed.” When it comes to the perfect accompaniments to partner with the cheeses they sell, Mark utilises his knowledge to maximise his customers’ experience – and his bottom line. “We have an accompaniments section and as best we can we provide suggestions that a particular bottle of wine and/or chutney etc would go well with the cheese.” It’s a popular offering: “more often than not we find people adding chutney, crackers and often wine. It’s a good way to increase the size of the order.” 23 COUNTERPOINT a customer buys it it’s just about perfect.” As it’s hard to guarantee anything, let alone postal timescales and the weather, Mark has developed a one-size-fits-all approach: “We have to assume that the cheese will be travelling for 24 hours, and depending on the weather we will add ice packs to maintain it as close as possible to what it is like when it leaves us,” he explains. NEXT, DELIVERY If your cheese is being delivered by courier or Royal Mail, it’s difficult – if not impossible – to guarantee the conditions and timescales your products will be travelling in. Therefore, it’s important to prepare the package as well as you can to ensure that your cheese Sponsored by reaches your customer in optimum condition. “All the cheese is sufficiently vacuum packed, then placed within a cushioned insulated pouch with sufficient coolant to maintain temperature for 48 hours,” Nick explains. Using the correct packing materials is vital for The Norfolk Deli’s delivery service too, says Mark. “Cheeses are wrapped in wax paper, the box is sturdy and we use the soft ‘wotsit’ type of packing which allows us to put an ice pack in. They soak up any moisture and help to protect the cheese.” While it could be tempting to invest a lot of time and money in a failsafe guarantee, that isn’t always practical, he explains: “One could go major on how to pack the cheeses, but at the same time your customers with to ensure they enjoy the perfect cheese experience, all thanks to your business? Here’s what you need to know. FIRST, SOURCING THE CHEESE Nick Copland of Homage2Fromage, a cheese events business which launched deliveries last month, works closely with his cheesemonger with the aim to get cheese to people in optimum condition, while Mark Kacary, owner of The Norfolk Deli, sources his cheeses directly fromwholesalers “which means there is usually a few days added to the date they were ready to leave the dairy.” This method “gives us approximately two weeks of shelf life (sometimes more, depends on the cheese) so when HOME DELIVERY With online sales for fine cheese on the rise, it’s important tomake sure that customers receive their orders in perfect condition One could go major on how to pack the cheeses, but at the same time there is a fine balance between what’s needed and what’s affordable