Healthy cheese bolsters British dairy
Somerset cheddar maker Cricketer Farm has recorded the highest ever monthly sales of their half fat cheese brand, Cheeky Cow Cheese, following a one-off Lidl promotion that saw 23,000 packs sell out within a fortnight across the UK.
This was bolstered last week by the launch of a marketing campaign to boost sales across the South West and help reinforce the cheese as the healthiest alternative to full fat cheddar available.
As one of the first dairy companies in the country to sign up to the Voluntary Dairy Code of Practice in 2012, this growth is very positive for Cricketer Farm’s group of independent Somerset and Devon dairy farmers.
While an increase in cheese consumption is positive news for Cricketer Farm and the dairy sector as a whole of course, MD Greg Parsons is still fighting hard to persuade national supermarket buyers that they should satisfy the huge demand from consumers for healthier dairy products.
“Unfortunately the large supermarket chains have not yet recognised Cheeky Cow’s national potential when it comes to a tasty, healthy cheese. We know the demand is there thanks to daily emails from people across the UK asking how and where they can buy it. So rather than wait for a listing, we’ve gone ahead and this week launched our online cheese shop and are already seeing sales from across the country.”
Not everyone is convinced about healthy cheese, Mr Parsons and his team will be travelling through the South West giving out free cheese and vouchers as part of their ‘Cheeky on Tour’ road trip. They hope to demonstrate to consumers how easy it is to swap everyday products for healthier alternatives while at the same time supporting farmers by ensuring they buy British dairy products.
