CHEESE Futura Foods’ Pizza & More cheese range.
cheese The challenge of
CHALLENGING TIMES With the recent, and still ongoing impact of the Covid 19 pandemic, the industry baseline has found a new normal, reports Simon Offord, commercial controller for Pizza & More at sector supplier, Futura Foods. “We have found a merging of the channel landscapes, and reduced confidence in out of home dining,” says Simon Offord. “Yet, consumers still want to treat themselves to comforting and indulgent food. The popularity of delivery and takeaway routes to market such as Deliveroo and Just Eat continues, and are in growth, frequently engaged with by consumers. “We have seen the cheese and dairy market escalate to some of the highest prices in the last 30 years. With short supply of milk and increased demand from the consumer we are in unprecedented times. Low milk yields and inflation on electricity, fuel and 32
packaging means that the requirement for more cost-effective and functional cheeses has become more prevalent.” Valerio’s, a specialist manufacturer of mozzarella and ricotta cheese, based in the market town of Bedford and established over 60 years ago, operates from its dedicated Bedfordshire located dairy, and report price pressures too from at home and abroad. “Unfortunately, UK milk prices increased several times during the course of 2021 and have continued to do so into 2022 with further increases having been confirmed this month,” says Maurizio Valerio of Valerio’s Ltd. “Valerio’s, like many other producers has had to accept the ‘buy price’ increase for raw milk in order to have continuity and security of supply for its customers. “All products are made from fresh British milk on a daily basis and are available in a variety of pack sizes, tailormade for individual requirements.
A mainstay of the pizza business, like many other foodstuffs and ingredients, cheese is experiencing supply chain and price pressures as the sector adapts in the wake of the response to the pandemic. “We have also seen European milk prices following a similar path to that of the UK. “Milk prices constitute just one part of the ever-increasing cost spectrum, with other factors such as surging labour and energy costs also impacting significantly on the cost of manufacture.” Despite all the issues faced as a producer, however, Valerio’s says that it has still been able to offer consistently high quality, specialist products, with short lead times, via a distribution network that covers the whole of Great Britain. They produce a unique range of premium Italian cheeses, using fresh UK milk, and ranging from mozzarella, bocconcini and fior di latte to pizza cheese, burrata, stracciatella and ricotta. All products are produced daily in a modern, www.pizzapastamagazine.co.uk
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