How to sell blue cheese outside the festive season

03 November 2022, 10:37 AM
  • Blue cheese is a festive bestseller, but how can retailers encourage sales of it all year round?
How to sell blue cheese outside the festive season

While blue cheese peaks over the festive period, it can be eaten all year round, despite it being a tough sell at some points.

For Caroline Bell, managing director at Shepherds Purse, “Whilst it’s undeniable that blue cheese is a Christmas hero, it remains the favourite of many throughout the year due, in part, to its diversity and versatility, and we certainly see popularity being sustained throughout the year.

“It’s great to enjoy on its own, and then there’s no easier way to lift a dish in terms of flavour and richness than sprinkle on, or stir in, blue cheese, and in summer, the BBQ offers the perfect opportunity to allow blue cheese to shine.”

Matt Hall, fourth-generation owner of Butlers Farmhouse Cheeses, adds, “Blue cheese is most definitely for life, not just for Christmas, so retailers need to highlight the versatility that it offers year-round and show people that they can have that Christmas feeling again.

“Cooking with blue cheese brings a whole new flavour profile and so it’s a fantastic hack to reinvent your leftovers and add some oomph to your mid-week meals.

“It’s a big opportunity for retailers to drive blue cheese sales away from the Christmas period, the challenge will be managing limited shelf space. Inspiring and selling those different eating occasions at point of purchase is the way to win.”

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