The holidays are a time of traditions. Of heritage, culture, and eating. So, I can think of no better time to bust out classic plates with modern offerings like Pine River.
“Demos around the holiday are a great time for us to be in-store because people have parties top of mind. They see our cheese spreads, have that nostalgia of having Port Wine at Grandma’s house, and want to share that tradition with their families. We also like to dress up our table if we can with holiday decorations to give that festive feeling,” shared Brittany Requejo, Marketing Manager.
Cold Pack Cheese Spread, especially Port Wine, she pointed out, is a must-have at any holiday gathering, making an easy appetizer for both children and adults to enjoy.
“Cranberry Cheddar is one of our newer flavors, once a seasonal item but now available year-round and very popular around the holidays,” Brittany explained. “It’s a great spread for a holiday-themed cheese board. Tart cranberries complement the sharpness of the Grade A Cheddar for a delectable spread.”
And the Pine River team should know. Not only is it coming off an award-winning year, placing in every contest entered, including sweeps at the 2022 World Championship Cheese Contest and the Wisconsin State Fair, but 2023 makes for six decades in business.
“We are very excited not just to celebrate our 60th anniversary next year, but to do so as the most awarded cheese spreads available,” Brittany said.
According to the team’s Sales Manager, Kayla Bohn, it is a continuation of the energy and success of 2022.
“This past year has been an exciting year for the Pine River team,” Kayla commented. “With our trade show team, led by Mary Lindemann, finally getting back to trade shows to see our customers after two long years of the pandemic, we have also been able to travel throughout the country to find some of the best specialty food distributors and brokers to partner up with. We want to ensure our customers are receiving the care and support that they deserve especially through their busiest time of the year.”
The company has not only mastered the skill and art that goes into making cheese spreads—aging Wisconsin Cheddar in-house, ensuring the right combination of aged cheese, and delivering smooth texture and flavor it has come to be known for—but how to make its cheeses accessible and ensure ROI for its buying partners.
“We always like to share the idea of using our cheese spreads as a substitute for natural cuts of Cheddar in any recipe. Our spreads are very meltable, so it’s easy to add a scoop for a cheesy flavor boost!” Brittany explained, adding that Pine River has collected a vast network of recipe building and expertise to further penetrate the consumer kitchen. “We gather recipes from many sources, and are even holding a staff recipe contest. Our fabulous employees can develop recipes using our cheese spreads, and the winner will receive a cash award and have their recipe featured on our social channels.”
See for yourself how you could be merchandising and cross-promoting these tasty specialties! Pine River adds new recipes to its website, pineriver.com/recipes, and shares them on Instagram (@pinerivercheesespread); Facebook (@PineRiverPrePack); and Twitter (@PRcheesespread).
And for more on industry news as holiday promotions begin, continue to follow Deli Market News.
