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Affordable Artisan

Making Specialty Cheese More Accessible

At Glanbia Nutritionals, the term Affordable Artisan means making specialty cheeses more accessible.

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Reading time 5 minutes 20 seconds

The art of cheese making is unique to different regions globally, but bringing those delicious flavors to retail stores and foodservice outlets from overseas often means a higher price tag. We strive to bring the beautifully crafted flavor and texture profiles of traditionally global and artisan cheeses to our domestic cheese-making process.

Whether you’re searching for a creamy caramel-flavored Gouda or a traditionally nutty Raclette, our cheese scientists can work with you to provide a cheese that delivers the flavor, texture, and color profile you desire, all with the functionality you need.

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Download Our Affordable Artisan Brochure

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Why Affordable Artisan? 

Consumers know that cheese comes in various flavors and textures, and they’re excited to try new things. Expanding on the range of global cheese options, making them affordable and accessible, and focusing on taste and quality could help drive this excitement. Consumers also have a growing interest in cheeses from different international regions, making Affordable Artisan cheeses an even more popular choice.

32% of Millennial's state that they go out of their way to try new flavors.1

53% of consumers stated they had eaten cheese as a snack by itself in the last three months.2

53% of consumers stated they had used cheese in a recipe in the last three months.2

Affordable Artisan cheeses also offer consumers a delicious and more unique cheese snacking option. Consumers are increasingly purchasing cheese to use for a snack. In fact, snacking is now the second most common reason consumers eat cheese, tied with using it in a recipe!

Affordable Artisan cheeses offer fun and bold flavors in an approachable and affordable way. 

Consumers seek bold, new flavors

Consumers desire new and unique flavor profiles. This craving continues to rise with younger consumers
stating they increasingly seek bold and adventurous flavor options.

Taste is king, and price isn’t far behind

Expanding on the range of global cheese options, making them affordable and accessible, and focusing on taste and quality could create more excitement in the cheese category.

Snacking continues to increase

Contemporary eating habits are increasingly moving away from set mealtimes and toward snacking and grazing across the day. Cheese is a long-established, well-accepted choice for snacking.

Building Your Affordable Artisan Cheese 

You may only know the general cheese type you want, or perhaps you have a specific gold standard that you love. No matter where your project is starting, we’ll help you to identify the cheese’s unique characteristics to know precisely what we’re targeting.

References:
1 Mintel. Maintain interest in Mac and Cheese through Flavor. September 2020. 
2 Mintel. The Future of Choose 2020. US. January 2020.

Tips to get started

Pick a ‘hero’ or inspiration cheese 

Your group can do that on your own or work with our Marketing and Insights group to determine what’s trending, why, and what formats make the most sense!

Define your unique cheese characteristics 

We’ll work side-by-side with you to evaluate and determine cheese characteristics that are unique to your needs. We’ll walk you through flavor, color, texture, and functional requirements.

Let our sicentists get to work 

Once we’ve nailed your unique cheese characteristics, our cheese scientists will work diligently to bring your creation to life. We’ll evaluate the most cost-effective way to bring your Affordable Artisan cheese to market.

color options

Define Color

Color may seem like an easy target, but there’s a lot to consider! 

At the Cheese Innovation Center we can work through color considerations to make sure we deliver an aesthetically pleasing shade that works for you and our current production standards. With tools to measure colors in the same way the human eye does, we can target product specifications and determine which color works best with our current product range.

Glanbia Is dedicated to making your perfect cheese. So if there is a special color you’re looking for, contact us to create the perfect shade!

Define Flavor 

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Flavor is king and flavor development is at the core of our Affordable Artisan pillar.

Our cheese scientists are here to provide the resources and knowledge to develop products, processes and solutions to satisfy the changing market needs. Our Marketing and Insights group will share pivotal trends that will help drive your perfect flavor to market.

flavor dictionary

Define Function

How will it slice? Is it better served chilled or at room temperature? Will it hold its shape? 

It is essential to consider the end application (what the consumer wants the cheese for) and functionality requirements. Our cheese scientists will work with you to ensure the cheese we create is a functional, all-around winner. 

Slicing & Shredding 

Cheeses that appear as desired when sliced or shredded

Table 

A good Artisan-style cheese 

Melting

A cheese that melts well, maintaining desired characteristics 

Snacking 

Cheeses that can be easily cubed make great snacking cheeses 

stacked items

Define Texture

Cheeses have a wide range of textures, but describing these unique characteristics can be tricky! 

Glanbia Nutritionals specializes in producing hard cheeses, but even hard cheeses have a wide array of texture characteristics to consider. We can partner with you to determine and deliver the texture characteristics needed for the cheese type you want.

Springiness or Elasticity

Determined by depressing the sample between thumb and fingers and evaluating the amount of time it takes foe the sample to recover to its original shape (the quicker it recovers, the more springy it is)

Openness

Degree in which visible openings can be seen

Broken Down

Common with aged cheeses, this relates to how easily the cheese crumbles, or breaks; relates closely to the moisture of the cheese (lower moisture, more brittle)

Smooth 

Surface of cheese is not rough or uneven when sliced

Adhesiveness 

The degree to which the chewed sample sticks to the surface of the mouth or teeth

Crystalline 

Common in aged cheeses, crystalline refers to the presence of tyrosine crystals

Closed or Compact 

No visible openings

Firmness

Relates to the amount of pressure needed to completely compress the sample (measured either through thumb and finger depression or bite)

Get inspired by these affordable artisan cheeses! 

fondue pot

Raclette - Savory & Complex

Testing Notes

Sulfurous and savory with slight buttery notes 

Texture Profile 

Semi-firm with a smooth mouthfeel and some light openness

Functionality

Developed for improved melting characteristics 

40 lb. block format for slicing, shredding, and chunking 

Origin 

Switzerland 

Why We Love it

Raclette is skyrocketing in popularity. It is the fastest growing specialty cheese at retail enjoying 21% volume growth YOY in 2019†. In foodservice, it’s growth is even more impressive with a 42% increase in menu penetration year-over-year‡. Raclette can, however, be an expensive habit. The average price-perpound at retail is over $15† showing that a more affordable option could serve the general consumer quite well!

References:
† Nielsen, Cheese Category, 52 week period ending July 2019
‡ Datassential SNAP, November 2019
sandwich

Fontina - Rich & Creamy 

Testing Notes

Rich buttery and brothy notes paired with slight malty and caramel notes as it ages

Texture Profile

Firm body with some slight openings

Functionality 

Ideal for slicing and melting 

40 lb. block for slicing, shredding, and chunking 

Origin

Italy 

Why We Love it

Fontina cheeses have experienced steady growth YOY with 5.2% growth in dollar sales at retail*. It is a perfect melting cheese and provides a rich flavor in cooking applications such as sauces, toasted sandwiches, and pizzas. Italian cheeses, in general, are experiencing significant growth up 13.7% in retail dollar sales year-over-year.*    

References:
* Nielson Italian Cheese GN Analysis 52 weeks ending July 2020
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Provolone - Distinct & Bold 

Testing Notes

Strong picante and umami flavors with slight fruity and sweet notes 

Texture Profile 

Firm body with some slight openness 

Functionality

Ideal for shredding 

40 lb. block format for slicing, shredding, and chunking 

Origin 

Italy 

Why We Love it

Aside from Mozzarella and Parmesan, Provolone has seen the most significant growth year-over-year increasing 10.5% at retail in dollar sales over 2019†. With its distinct, bold flavor and strong name recognition with nearly 30% menu penetration, Provolone continues to be a popular and familiar Italian cheese variety.

References:
† Nielson Italian Cheese GN Analysis 52 weeks ending July 2020
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Download Our Affordable Artisan Brochure

Download PDF

Now Let’s Create Together

Glanbia Nutritionals has developed multiple cheeses that fit within our Affordable Artisan capability pillar, including delicious Goudas, Cheddars, and Alpine-style cheeses. We continue to develop and refine our Affordable Artisan techniques to bring our customers the most relevant cheese varieties on the market.

For more information on pricing, specifications, and our other Affordable Artisan cheese offerings please contact us. 

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