Whether you are lactose sensitive or just love a good goat cheese, chances are you have had the beloved offering on your charcuterie board at one point or another. According to Patrick Considine, National Director of Sales at LaClare Creamery, the goat cheese category continues to grow as consumer demand is on the rise.
“The goat cheese category has grown significantly over the last few years, largely fueled by the post-COVID era that brought a resurgence of consumers spending more time cooking at home and creating unique dishes with their families,” he told me. “Since this change, more consumers are seeking goat cheeses to use in recipes or are even enjoying them as a part of their daily meals and snacks. We have seen retailers respond to this demand by expanding their goat cheese offerings in the gourmet case and stocking full lines of our LaClare products, from hard goat cheese to soft chèvre varieties.”
Patrick explained that many consumers are looking for goat cheese products that maintain consistent quality and provide the same positive experience every time they repurchase. Clean and fresh flavor, he said, are ways to appeal to consumers and help continually provide a positive experience in every serving.
“Consumers also enjoy having a wide variety of options. Goat cheese brands can offer variety in the form of different product types, flavors, recipes, and sizes. In response to this demand for more diverse options, many retailers are offering a more extensive array of product formats (e.g., blocks, logs, crumbles, etc.) and flavors,” Patrick continued.
LaClare Creamery is one of the only 100 percent-domestically produced goat cheese brands in the country. The company boasts complete control over the quality of its milk—helping ensure fresh, clean flavors in every batch. Sourcing local milk allows LaClare to craft cheese with minimal disruption and careful handling from farm to creamery.
“While we are growing quickly, we keep our focus on our customers (new and existing) to provide them with the best experience possible,” Patrick explained. “Despite all the challenges that came with the pandemic, our team continued to go above and beyond to maintain service levels to our customers. At LaClare, we are committed to being the goat cheese company with whom people are excited to do business.”
Since building its cheesemaking facility in 2013 and more than doubling its production space in 2019, LaClare has invested substantially in recruiting great people who are passionate about goat cheese, defining and refining processes, and cultivating a customer-focused culture that is second to none.
The company also works diligently to create and maintain its locally sourced supply chain, which brings in the majority of the goat milk from less than 15 miles away.
“This proximity ensures LaClare has one of the most secure, least disruptive, and highest-quality milk supplies in the entire goat dairy industry,” Patrick added. “Combining with Saxon Creamery in 2018 to create the Mosaic Meadows family of creameries also allowed us to leverage a broader network of sales and brokerage professionals, so we can better assess and meet the increasing demand of the goat cheese market.”
Dedicated to the great, clean taste of its goat cheese; a commitment to top quality (whether it’s people, processes, or products); and providing highly responsive customer service round out the advantages of this goat cheese partner.
As we continue to watch this specialty segment grow, stick with us here at Deli Market News.
