Fighting common taste

The block of people who regard cheese as being identical with trappista is still substantial and constitute the majority. The situation is however, changing slowly. – In Hungary, there is a strong tradition of consuming trappista cheese, which is recommended for people who maintain a health-conscious diet, as a result of its high calcium content – says Bernadett Strasser-Kátai Bernadett, managin director of MONA Hungary Kft. The problem is that price is always the determining factor when a choice has to be made between two brands of trappista. In many cases, consumers are not even aware of whose brand they are buying. – Loyalty is not directed towards the brand, but the round shape – comments Szabolcs Ruszthi, director of Kőröstej Kft. Brands focus their efforts on categories where sales are less substantial, but price competition is not so intense. – There is an abundance of new flavours and types waiting for customers. In addition to trappista, mozarella, feta and smoked, creamy types are also increasingly popular – says Emese Paragi, brand manager of SOLE-MIZO Zrt. – In order to produce quality, expertise, the right materials and technology are all needed. If there is no purchasing power, nobody will take the trouble of making high quality products.– adds Mária Sike, managing director of ERU Hungária Kft. The major players in the cheese market have begun building umbrella brands like Tolle and SOLE to convey an image based on uniform quality and to bridge the gap between trappista and other types of cheese. Attractive design is an important weapon in the struggle against private labels. Categories with higher added value like sliced SOLE cheeses are making an impact. SOLE-MIZO Zrt. has a rich assortment of cheese, including sliced products with special flavouring and Eidam, gouda, mozzarella and feta types, as well as Roquefort. MONA Hungary Kft. is committed to developing the Hungarian culture of cheese consumption, in order to generate demand for an infinite variety of imported cheese. They organise samplings and various events like the competition under the title „Well known Hungaricums from gastronomy, moulded in cheese”. The idea was to get competitors to rediscover long forgotten recipes and to come up with new ideas, as well.