Gert van Leeuwen
Q. What in your background prepared you for your current role?
Hard work and a passion for food. When I started working at Treur Cheese, a family business, it fitted perfectly. Both René and Daan Treur learned the job from their father who started the cheese company 60 years ago. With passion and consistent commitment, the family built up their own warehouse, the knowledge from maturing Goudas and a big network.
It is their knowledge I have learned over the past seven years. When you want to learn and explore all things to know about making and maturing an excellent cheese, you will be excited. I try to transfer this enthusiasm to each partner, shop owner or staff member to make sure consumers are getting a great cheese experience.
Q. Which cheese is the most popular and why?
The Gouda cheeses matured by Treur Cheese are not common. Each cheese is made with the expertise of the cheese maker for an excellent product. The maturing process takes place in special cellars where a constant temperature and humidity is maintained. As a result, the cheeses develop a unique taste.
The most popular ones are the Goudas matured for six months or longer. These older varieties have a more developed and outstanding taste. There are also cheeses with additives like truffle. We also offer cheeses with a special colour, such as green pesto cheese, Villa Verde. This has green pesto and fenugreek seeds in it, so the cheese stands out on a cheese board.
Q. What trends do you see in the Dutch cheese industry right now?
Dutch consumers are more aware of the whole chain from cow to cheese. They want to know what they eat and how it is made – from which farm the milk is coming and how the farmer takes care of his animals. Since the quality of the cheese depends on the fat and proteins of the milk, cattle feed is very important. When the story matches the reality and informs the consumer that the cheese is made in a sustainable way, consumers are more open to both pay for it and come back again. By storytelling we try to provide customers with the complete tale from cow to cheese, and this makes the cheese experience complete.
Q. What do you see as your greatest achievement/challenge?
Our greatest achievement is winning the title: Supreme Champion. Our greatest challenge is to convince and promote our Gouda specialities to retailers, partners and consumers. Since the current image of Gouda is one with an off taste, we need to let people try our specialities to overcome their preconceptions and to make sure Gouda is more available in cheese shops, so cheese lovers can taste the best.
Q. What does a typical day look like for you?
A typical day in my life is getting up early and having a nice Gouda sandwich and a cup of coffee to start. Then I will drive to several cheese shops in the Netherlands to discuss with the owners how sales are going and what we could do to promote Dutch Gouda in their shop. I recommend point of sale material and arrange the cheese counter to promote the cheeses. If new shops are starting to sell Dutch Gouda, I will prepare the cheese counter and teach staff all the things they need to know about cheese and selling it. I believe that selling Dutch quality cheese is teamwork, in which everyone involved during the making and purchasing process needs to be well informed. As a result, the consumer gets the best cheese experience when eating his cheese and it ensures he will come back again to try out new varieties.
Running exhibitions, contacting new partners and maintaining good relationships with current partners and cheese shops is also part of my job. For instance, the collaboration with Hamish Johnston in Suffolk, Michael Lee Fine Cheeses in West Yorkshire and Leopard Dairy Products in Dorset, has made it possible for English people to buy our Dutch Gouda across the UK.
Q. Outside of work, what are your hobbies/interests?
I love coming home and cooking for my wife and daughters. In my spare time I like to experiment with new recipes and try new combinations of ingredients. I also play the piano, which is a nice activity to clear your head.
