Creating A Memorable Sampling Experience

Visit the grocery store on a Saturday morning, and you just may run into me manning a table near the deli, excited to share with you a variety of cheeses to dazzle your palette. By the afternoon, I’ve become besties with the guy behind the cheese counter. Having logged my fair share of hours sampling product, I wanted to share my expertise of what I’ve learned along the way.

Know Your Audience

This is a big one—how I talk about cheese is always geared toward who I’m talking to! A busy mom in the grocery store didn’t plan on buying specialty cheese that day, but a brief pitch about our brand and the cheese while she grabs a quick bite may be all she needs to toss it in her cart and give it a try. A cheese connoisseur who signs up for one of my tasting classes, on the other hand, already comes equipped with a lot of knowledge about cheese and expects to take a deeper dive during their sampling session. I like to give them an in-depth look into the history of the caves and cheesemaking, describe the subtle tasting notes of the several varieties of cheese before them, and present them with carefully selected pairings of food and drink. Another person I also find myself face to face with is the cheese buyer. This is where I usually put my business hat on and serve up samples alongside stats about consumer trends and the industry.

Come Prepared

No matter the audience, preparation before your sampling is key. How many people are likely to come to your sampling? A simple trick to estimate the amount of cheese needed is to estimate 1-2 ounces per person. A 6lb wheel of cheese, for example, may yield 50-100 samples depending on how you slice it. I always give myself enough time to set up beforehand, allowing the cheese to sit at room temperature out of its packaging for about 30 minutes before any sampling begins. A good way to pass this time is to pre-cut the cheese. I don’t want to be wasting time wielding a knife while trying to tell my story. I make sure to cut harder cheeses in nice even cubes or sticks, and softer blue cheeses in bite-size wedges. Make sure you have a hygienic method for serving this cheese to others, like toothpicks or sample spoons, and always have a wastebasket nearby!

Create Loyal Fans

The goal of any of my samplings is to create brand loyalty. That buyer will hopefully consider offering me shelf space, that cheese connoisseur is going to blog about his experience to friends and that busy mom may make it a point to add our cheese to her shopping list on future trips. It’s all about building relationships through a memorable sampling experience.