Mrs. Angelika Niedenhoff, renowned cheese sommelier and fresh-produce manager for cheese/meat/sausage at EDEKA Mohr in Bonn, comments on the new JERSEY Gouda made from natural, Dutch jersey milk.

Angelika Niedenhoff with a wheel of Landana JERSEY Gouda MILD.

Mrs. Niedenhoff, how long have you been working in the food industry/fresh foods and where/how did you develop your love for cheese?
I’ve been standing at the cheese counter since my apprenticeship – so almost 28 years at EDEKA. It all started as a student job at a small, 450 square meter EDEKA store.
I quickly realized that there was a lot to do at the cheese counter and that expertise was often lacking. I gradually became more and more interested in cheese and my enthusiasm and passion for this natural product became bigger and bigger. Actually, I wanted to do something with animals professionally after I was done with school, and I never would have thought that cheese would inspire me so much that it would make me choose a different path.

What made you decide to become a cheese sommelier and when did you become a cheese sommelier?
If you care so intensely and passionately about cheese, sooner or later you’ll automatically come across the Cheese Sommelier diploma. I knew that was my goal and I was able to reach that goal in February 2015. This education is simply a MUST for every cheese fan and opens up new cheese worlds!

What do you think it is that makes Landana JERSEY Gouda so special?
You have to sell with a good conscience – it’s just fun to sell this great, better Gouda, because it has advantages for humans as well as animals. It also has a special, creamy taste from another kind of milk produced by a special cow. The idea behind it is: a different cow, a different fat content, a pure, non-standardized whole milk, not too salty. On top of that, the Jersey Gouda contains no unnecessary additives. It’s simply a feel-good moment when the Landana JERSEY Gouda melts in your mouth.

In your opinion, who is the right target audience that enjoys buying the Landana JERSEY Gouda most of all?
Definitely all customers, big and small. You can easily – and honestly – sell the Landana Jersey Gouda to everyone who loves a good cheese. Especially to customers who care about sustainability, because the Jersey cow has a smaller ecological footprint. Children love the Jersey Gouda as well, because it has that mild, creamy taste. And of course, vegetarians are the target audience, as no animal rennet is used to make it.

Where on the counter is the Landana JERSEY Gouda best displayed?
We display it clearly visibly on the wall shelf behind the counter and as a second display in front of the counter on our self-service shelf (for the quick customer). Thanks to the great design by the Vandersterre company, you can easily display it clearly and visibly. It really comes into its own wonderfully.

Do you think that the success of Landana JERSEY Gouda is just a short-term trend or can it become a new category in the sliced cheese segment?
Even though Landana JERSEY Gouda is already fully in line with the trend of a conscious, sustainable, and responsible diet, I believe and expect that Landana JERSEY Gouda will become a new segment of the classic Gouda category. Seeing as the classic young Gouda is often used as a discount product, which has almost “milked” the entire range, Landana JERSEY Gouda proves, with its clear advantages and added value, that a high-quality Gouda with a good price can do really well at the cheese counter. And if the Landana JERSEY Gouda continues to be so well looked after, it will certainly be more than just a trend! It will quickly get stuck in people’s heads and will soon be on many cheese shopping lists.

What tips do you have for the people behind the counters to sell Landana JERSEY Gouda as successfully as you and your team do?
The most important requirement: believe in the product! Of course, active selling by letting people taste it and good product knowledge also helps.
Training staff is also very important and you should take advantage of the benefits of Vandersterre’s wonderful presentation. With the Jersey cow decoration, for example, you can give Landana JERSEY Gouda a good face because the cows are beautiful! Secondary placement obviously also helps. And, also very importantly: Let the customer feel your excitement: If I’m excited, I can pass that feeling on to the customer. That way, it becomes easy to convince Gouda customers in simple, short sentences of the quality of Landana JERSEY Gouda.

Mrs. Niedenhoff, thank you very much for this talk.

Read more about Landana Jersey Gouda here.

Watch the Landana Jersey video