Somerdale International, the leading importer of premium British cheeses into the United States, is set to grow its presence further with the launch of ‘Somerdale Food Service’. The new umbrella food service operation will create a dedicated supply chain for those restaurateurs looking to add value to their food offering through the use of great tasting British cheeses. It will be launched at the National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago (May 18th – 21st 2019) – Booth No. 10039.
The launch comes as Somerdale enters the third year of its five year strategic programme to grow sales of the very best British cheeses in restaurants, hotels and the QSR sector across the United States. It follows on from the successful introduction of Somerdale’s Savile Row premium cheese brand which will now be an integral part of the ‘Somerdale Food Service’ offering. Launched in 2017, Savile Row has quickly established a strong sales base in restaurants across the US with sales increasing year on year by three times. Building on the success of Savile Row, ‘Somerdale Food Service’ will offer an enhanced selection of British cheeses to a wider range of restaurants and food service operators.
To highlight the very best in British cheeses and build a greater understanding of how they can be incorporated into menus to add value and differentiate them from others, the ‘Somerdale Food Service’ range will include a ‘British Cheese Kit’. This will feature especially selected cheeses accompanied with informative tasting notes – the aim being to showcase “All that is great about Great British cheese”. The Kit will feature quintessentially British cheeses sourced from cheesemakers who are long established, family-run, producers who make cheese of the highest quality, consistency and taste. These will include:
Cropwell Bishop Blue Stilton – Known as the ‘King of Cheeses’ the award- winning Blue Stilton made by Cropwell Bishop has a rich, tangy flavour and a velvety smooth texture that makes it melt in the mouth. Crafted by hand, using methods that have changed little since the 17th Century, Cropwell Bishop’s Blue Stilton is aged for 12 weeks and exudes a level of quality that is hard to beat.
Traditional Red Leicester – Made in a similar manner to cheddar, the distinctively coloured Red Leicester has a more open and crumblier texture than its counterpart. The best known of traditional English territorial cheeses, the cheese is rich and buttery with a full, smooth flavour, which becomes stronger as the cheese matures.
Cave Aged PDO Cheddar – We have sourced award-winning, traditional, cloth wrapped Cheddar truckles, aged deep in caves in the heart of Cheddar country, in the South West of England. Naturally aged in cloth for a minimum of 9 months, the Cheddar takes on a unique flavour, infused from the surroundings and this, combined with the sweetness from the
cheese, gives you a complex flavour that develops as you eat. This is how Cheddar tasted many moons ago!
Wensleydale with Cranberries – Wensleydale is the perfect cheese to eat with fruit. Creamy with an open texture, Wensleydale is one of the oldest cheese varieties in England as monks were first known to be making Wensleydale in the 11th century. Wensleydale has a natural sweet acidity that complements fruit, best of all cranberries.
Commenting on the launch of Somerdale Food Service, Alan Jenkins, Director of Somerdale International said: “Demand for great tasting British cheeses is growing across the States and the launch of our dedicated food service operation will make it easier than ever for chefs and restauranteurs to incorporate them into their menus.
“At Somerdale, we’re passionate about British cheese and believe that ‘Somerdale Food Service’ will provide a platform for us to showcase and supply the very best of what Britain has to offer to US restaurants.”
Notes to Editors
About Somerdale International
Based in Wellington, Somerset, England, Somerdale International is a leading UK exporter of British cheese & dairy products. Somerdale exports great tasting British cheeses to over 50 countries across the globe. We are the leading exporter of British cheese to the USA with shipments leaving for New York every week.
Somerdale has long established partnerships with many of the highest quality British cheese producers. This enables us to offer a comprehensive range of award winning traditional, quintessentially British, cheeses including farmhouse Cheddars, Stilton & other blue cheeses, flavored cheeses and traditional hand-made, artisan cheeses. Many of our cheese suppliers are long established, family-run, producers who make cheese of the highest quality, consistency and taste.
