Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.
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ago, their first year as importers, the husband-and-wife team had sales of $18,000. Today their offering includes about 100 different Swiss cheeses, three-quarters of which didn't exist a generation ago. The Hostettlers have built a following for non-traditional Swiss creations like the triple-cream Moser Screamer and the dome-shaped Jersey Blue; and for Hoch Ybrig and other gems from esteemed affineur Rolf Beeler. The Hostettlers' Adopt-an-Alp pro- gram, which invites retailers to pre-purchase summer wheels from a specific chalet, has built awareness and support for the endangered tradition of transhumance. In 2016, its fourth year, the initiative had 40 adopters, including the grocery chain Kroger, and the couple expects participation to grow in 2017. The evolution of the Swiss selection in the U.S. continues, as artisan products replace or compete with commodity wheels at spe- cialty cheese counters. "When we started, we were the only ones sell- ing Swiss specialty cheese," Hostettler recalls. "Nobody had a cheese that only one dairy makes. Now there are at least eight companies selling Swiss specialty cheese, so the growth must be massive." Every cheese has a story. However, no one else has a story quite like ours. Our award-winning cheeses are crafted by artisans, ensuring the highest quality that not only meets your expectations, but appeals to the changing tastes of your customers. © 2016 Saputo Cheese USA Inc. All rights reserved. The brands and logos shown herein are protected trademarks used by Saputo Cheese USA Inc. Embrace your inner artisan. SAPUTOSPECIALTY.COM | 1-800-824-3373 GET ON BOARD. NEW items! VISIT US AT WFFS BOOTH #3405 cheese focus Janet Fletcher writes the email newsletter "Planet Cheese" and is the author of Cheese & Wine and Cheese & Beer. A few of the new arrivals have been too expensive or too limited to make inroads, like Andeerer Gourmet. The Andeerer cheeses are available on request but Columbia no longer keeps them in inven- tory, says Jonathan Richardson, Columbia's national sales manager. But others, like Challerhocker, have found permanent niches in many cheese cases. Richardson also reports strong interest in alp- käse, wheels made at alpine chalets in summer from the milk of cows dining on mountain grasses. In early fall, the company introduced alpage Gruyères from three different makers, convinced that each had distinctive f lavors. "My dream is that alpage Gruyère someday gets treated like Beaujolais Nouveau," Richardson says. In this vision, top shops would begin selling these cheeses on a predetermined date to generate excite- ment and convey the quality of these mountain-made wheels. Spreading the Word Few have done more to promote fine Swiss cheese, especially Alps- produced cheese, than Caroline and Daniel Hostettler. Twenty years Winter Fancy Food Show Booth 3405 54 ❘ SPECIALTY FOOD MAGAZINE specialtyfood.com