An entrepreneurial mum is in talks with some of the dairy industry’s biggest players as she seeks to turn her dream of creating a new kids’ cheese brand into a reality.

Mum of four Claire Castignetti is looking to launch the cheese equivalent of chocolate coins, which she plans to sell as a cheese snack to kids aged three and over.

She has trademarked the name Cheddar Treasure Cheese Coins as a potential brand name and is looking to market the coins using a “treasure chest” loyalty scheme, which would encourage kids to collect coins in return for a small treasure chest to fit into kids’ lunchboxes.

Despite not having any background in the food industry - Castignetti has run a modelling agency in the past - the cheese coin concept has already sparked considerable interest in the dairy industry. Castignetti said she had held exploratory talks with Adams Foods, which makes the Pilgrims Choice and Mu cheese brands, to discuss if Adams could manufacture the coins, potentially under the Mu brand.

Lactalis McLelland, the owner of the Seriously Strong brand of Cheddar, had also shown interest and offered to supply cheese for the product, Castignetti added.

Adams Foods marketing director Alastair Jackson said Adams was not in a position to develop the product at this stage but said he was still keen to consider it in the future.

“There was an opportunity to do it under the Mu brand and there still could be,” he added. “We’d certainly look at revisiting it.”

Castignetti claimed there was considerable scope to add excitement to the cheese coins product once it had been established in the market, such as by adding a surprise chocolate coin into the net around Easter and Christmas, and by developing an app.

Source

Richard Ford

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