A new Stilton brand has been launched to target mainstream shoppers and revamp the "boring" category.
Marketed as 'the Stilton for every day', True Blue from Milk Link's Tuxford & Tebbutt is a 10-week-old cheese with a creamy texture and buttery taste. It hits Morrisons next week and Tesco in mid-February.
The new brand would not upset traditionalists, but its "cheeky and cartoonish" new look would give it wider appeal, said Mark Frankcom, director of speciality cheese.
"It's a category that needs a bit of magic," he said. "Stilton is a high-care product but sells at a relatively low value. It also has low frequency of purchase and penetration. It's a bit boring. That's both a problem and an opportunity. True Blue can give the fixture a bit of a lift."
Selling for at least £2 for 150g, it will be sold in patent-pending plastic packaging that is both easy to open and allows the cheese to breathe. It would also allow better portion control and keep waste down, said Frankcom.
Research showed consumers only bought Stilton 2.7 times per year on average compared with 4.5 times a year for Continental blues, he said. True Blue could help increase Stilton purchases to 3.5 times per year, he predicted.
Milk Link is targeting a 10% share of the Stilton category for True Blue, which would represent 300 tonnes of cheese per year.
Marketing support will include trade press ads, social networking and a website.
Packs feature booklets with recipes such as sausage, Stilton mash and onion gravy.
Marketed as 'the Stilton for every day', True Blue from Milk Link's Tuxford & Tebbutt is a 10-week-old cheese with a creamy texture and buttery taste. It hits Morrisons next week and Tesco in mid-February.
The new brand would not upset traditionalists, but its "cheeky and cartoonish" new look would give it wider appeal, said Mark Frankcom, director of speciality cheese.
"It's a category that needs a bit of magic," he said. "Stilton is a high-care product but sells at a relatively low value. It also has low frequency of purchase and penetration. It's a bit boring. That's both a problem and an opportunity. True Blue can give the fixture a bit of a lift."
Selling for at least £2 for 150g, it will be sold in patent-pending plastic packaging that is both easy to open and allows the cheese to breathe. It would also allow better portion control and keep waste down, said Frankcom.
Research showed consumers only bought Stilton 2.7 times per year on average compared with 4.5 times a year for Continental blues, he said. True Blue could help increase Stilton purchases to 3.5 times per year, he predicted.
Milk Link is targeting a 10% share of the Stilton category for True Blue, which would represent 300 tonnes of cheese per year.
Marketing support will include trade press ads, social networking and a website.
Packs feature booklets with recipes such as sausage, Stilton mash and onion gravy.
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