A NEW CHEESE

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 7 March 1925, Page 5

A NEW CHEESE

CANADIAN PASTE PRODUCT. INROADS ON THE MARKET. CAN , NEW ZEALAND IGNORE IT? Manufactured, and packed in Canada, of lower butter-fat content than ordinary Cheddar cheese, ■ -■ yet selling at a price 50 per cent, higher, a specially prepared paste cheese is making rapid strides in public favour at Home. In the . opinion of Mr G-. D. Macfarlane, a former New Zealand farmer, who is now London representative for the New Zealand Marketing Asso* ■ ciation, this Dominon cannot afford to ignore the new development. - «• Mr Macfarlane is at present in the y South Island, but a Star reporter has been able to secure from him a description'of this new competitor in the cheese world, and to learn his opinion of the position as it affects the New Zealand producer. As he was a groeer in Glasgow before coming out to New Zealand in the first place, he partied-;f larly understands the position of the V retailer in the new trade. 4- ‘ ‘ Hitherto. ’ ’ said Mr Macfarlane, "there has been no serious competitor to the Cheddar type as made at Home, in Canada, and New Zealand! These dominate the market, and will.'continue to do so for some time. The latest- ’ development, in cheese, hpwever, is rather disconcerting, and the enormous increase in the -sale of the latest type is so alarming that I had samples forwarded here for the inspection of tlie ‘ Dairy Division and others interested;.’This cheese, is what may be termed a" prepared elieeSeyand is made from ordinary Cheddar cheese of good quality. This is ground down and treated so as to reduce it to a pulpy form. It is » then moulded by machinery into five- < pound blocks, in the same way as we ' mould a pound of butter, then tinfoiled all around in order to retain its moisture, and packed in oblong boxes.- A half-pound indicator paper is placed on top for the guidance of the seller in cutting, and they are packed in parcels; of five boxes, bound' at both ends with j wire. There is no rind, and none develops. The lots I received must be five or six months old, and the cheese is quite moist, and no undue ripeness v has developed. "It can readily be understood that a rindless cheese, of .good flavour, that can be spread on bread almost like butter, is attractively put up, and assures the storekeeper a fair profit without any waste or shrinkage, is bound to have a fair sale. From the small storekeeper’s point of view, this type of cheese suits him to perfection. His 0 complaint has always been that the large Cheddars dry up so rapidly, especially when his sales'are slow, as is usually the ease with the smaller’ men, resulting in virtually no profit, if not a lossj whereas, this new type of cheese being a proprietary article, the price of same is fixed by the manufacturer- to the . wholesaler, liis profit is fixed, and the retail have to sell at a fixed price, showing a profit to the latter of around 16 per cent. "The increase in the sale of this-* cheese lias been quite remarkable.'’ Some 18 months ago many'of the larger wholesalers did not- stock it; later, however, although looking upon'the. demand as a passing phase, their customers insisted on getting this cheese. As- f giving an illustration of what has liap-’ peried, the Scottish Co-operative Wholesale Grocers’ manager Avas strongly opposed'to stocking this cheese,-; as-he considered it Avould have a* short life. Later the demand became insistent and , lie ordered 250 packages. These sold freely, and the demand increased ,so rapidly that Avlien I left Scotland they j alone Avere selling around eight tons per Aveek. In a recent letter from this gentleman, he, knoAving my interest .in this matter, refers incidently. to this cheese as follows: ‘Trade in this c&eese is increasing very rapidly, and at the moment they (tlie manufacturers) have no: been able to overtake orders. They are sending fairly large quantities to i the Continent, and another large factory is being erected by them. ’ "This cheese is being retailed at 50 per cent. Ne%v Zealand or Can; adian Cheddar price, is Icwer in fat' content than our cheese, and contains much more moisture. That being so it will readily be seen that it is a highly rermineratice proposition for the manu- - facturer. Ordinarily selected Canadian Cheddars are bought at market pries. At certain periods NeAV Zealand cheese * has been shipped to America- for these people, and the question arises: ‘Can •New Zealand afford to ignore this übav development?’ In my vieAV she cannot.’’