Festive Cheer

Cheese Talk with

Juliet Harbutt

• How one cheese shop supported locals in lockdown
• Rory Mellis, IJ Mellis: “Local businesses have a chance to flourish”
• Why we should be proud of the cheese industry’s response to Covid
• The joy of cheese grading
• “Keeping the faith”

Juliet Harbutt says Christmas is like your birthday – unavoidable

Christmas, like your birthday, comes around every 12 months whether you like it or not. You can procrastinate but it won’t go away. It’s the busiest and, if you get organised early, potentially your
most profitable month of the year – so what’s not to like?

Oh come on, I know it’s mega stressful and brings out the worst in your least favourite customers but it’s also a huge buzz, especially when you get the ordering right. It’s nearly 23 years since I sold Jeroboams and I still miss the hype of Christmas. Grabbing boxes, stuffing them full of straw, wine, cheese and goodies, tying them up with an extravagant bow and off they would go to the House of Commons or my favourite customer and best ever drummer – Ray Cooper.

The earlier you decide what you do and don’t want to stock the better, as it gives you time to think about margins, suppliers, what to say on social media, brochures, newsletters, mail outs and blackboards and how and where to distribute them. You also need to get the website ready to go, otherwise your IT geek will be doing everyone else’s or be past caring.

I loved finding new things to offer but without discarding faithful suppliers, so I worked on the principle that if I got something in something had to go otherwise the shop and stock control got completely out of control. Some retailers reduce the number of products they stock over Christmas, especially jars of chutney, by around 10% to get a better price and make storage and stock control easier.

So if I was stocking your shelves or filling my foodie stocking I would want things to make spectacular platters and sell the platters as well. They feed any number of people any time of day and can be thrown together. So lots of antipasto from olives to roast aubergine, a cross section of charcuterie – especially individual saucisson as they have a good shelf life, keep well out of the fridge and they make great gifts. Same principle can be applied to cheese. Then I want things that keep people distracted while I am cooking Christmas dinner and beyond. Like kits to make cheese, yoghurt, beer or sausages, maybe a home smoker, grow your own sprouts, and if you have the space ice cream or bread makers.

One of my favourite pressies and very cheap, was a ‘book’ of Herb Matches where each match was a seed. Plant and grow… And why not create your own Gift or Days Out vouchers – plenty of time to negotiate a deal with your local cooking school, hotel for a dinner, spa day, cookwear shop or an evening with your favourite cheese expert (me!). It’s a win win situation and it supports the local community. Speaking of which, it may be worth stepping out from behind the counter and taking a stall at a Christmas market – fun or formidable they can be very effective and if you don’t someone
else will. Or get your suppliers to sell gift vouchers to your store.

When I was in NZ recently my hosts produced a very impressive soda maker – cooler than the old fashioned ones and we took it on our picnic – not that I am suggesting you do a Christmas picnic, but it would be great in a hamper. Oh yes, hampers – hate them usually but if they are an amazing, English willow hamper they are almost an heirloom. Otherwise, just get brightly coloured flat pack boxes and fab bendy ribbons and make them up as you go.

Hope that’s made you feel a bit more Christmassy, and if it hasn’t remember your competitor is already deciding what to stock for Easter – to him I say get a life.