Supermarket Perimeter - January 2023 - 31

It's not always easy
in today's tight
labor market, but
having educated
staff who are able to
tell cheese brands'
stories is critical.
staff all of our specialty cheese departments
with cheesemongers who are passionate
about the products that make our department
what it is, and this is ultimately why we have a
successful cut-and-wrap program. "
Kowalski's specialty cheese departments
aim to keep things fresh and exciting. One
way to do that is to cut pieces that people can
enjoy in one or two sittings.
" People often get hung up on the price per
pound, " Moore said. " We try to remind our
customers that they usually do not purchase a
full pound. The average size of a piece of cheese
in our department ranges from 4-6 ounces. "
Rather than a price per pound focus,
Kowalski's puts more of an emphasis on what
makes the cheese unique by sharing the story
behind the cheese, who the cheesemaker is and
what their vision was when creating the cheese.
When it comes to what shapes to cut
cheeses in, Kowalski's tries to make things a
bit easier for its customers by following some
tried-and-true best practices.
For example, most block cheddars are cut
square, manchegos and goudas are wedged
and bries are cut into triangles.
Kowalski's gets more creative with its cuts
and sizes when it comes to cutting cheese for
cheese boards and flights - categories that
continue to enjoy strong growth.
Online assistance
Plymouth, Wis.-based specialty cheese maker
Sartori's Certified Cut and Wrap Cheese Program
is an online guide for retailers to use for in-store
cutting and wrapping of artisanal cheese.
" We've seen a significant increase in the
number of cut and wrap shops opening
their doors in the United States, " said Chad
Vincent, Sartori's chief marketing officer. " We
recognized the opportunity for an improved
consumer experience, seeing first-hand the
numerous variations of how cheese mongers
handle and care for artisan cheese. "
When executed well, he added, cut-andwrap
can be a high margin destination that
supermarketperimeter.com
adds value to stores while being the best
option to sell fresh, high quality cheese to the
end consumer.
The program consists of seven brief
online episodes highlighting insights and
recommendations including topics such as
cheese case set-up, sanitation and safety,
cutting and wrapping multiple varieties of
cheese, and merchandising and maintaining a
cheese case.
Following the videos, a short 35-question
exam is presented, with the opportunity to
become " Sartori Certified. "
" Whether you work behind a cheese counter
or are just a cheese lover, this program gives
valuable insight on the best ways to handle
cheese, " Vincent said. " We want the program
to serve as a guide - in no way are we saying
we're the experts. "
Sartori spent over a year interviewing
and working side by side with the best
cheesemongers and retailers in the business to
get a wide view of best practices, he added.
JANUARY 2023 - 31
http://www.supermarketperimeter.com
Supermarket Perimeter - January 2023

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