UK: Organic Cheese Showcase

The first Organic Cheese Showcase aims to raise awareness of the quality and choice of organic cheese to the trade and media, the Soil Association reports. The event will take place in Malmesbury, Wiltshire, on 6 March 2014 as a unique opportunity for Soil Association licenced cheese producers to display and offer sampling of their great choice of organic cheeses.

Attending the event will be buyers from independent cheese stores and large supermarkets who will be able to sample and enjoy a wide selection of choice all ‘under one roof’. There will also be some short presentations; an update on the market and consumer and some interesting case studies of successfully exporting organic cheese. Lye Cross Farm, based in Somerset is the biggest producer of organic cheese and is sponsoring the event.

During the past year, the total organic market has stabilised and is showing buoyant growth in many areas. According to Nielsen data, the dairy sector is leading this trend with sales increases on organic milk and yoghurts of +3.4% and +6.7% respectively, whereas the organic cheese sector is performing less well at -2.3%. There are still a large number of delicious organic cheeses being produced in the UK, however they are much less available through mainstream retailers: apart from Sainsbury who display a credible range of So Organic cheese, there is little else accessible to the supermarket shopper. More information on the Soil Association’s Organic Cheese Showcase is available here.