Welsh Dairy Products: Consumer Study Report. Report prepared for. DairyCo

Transcription

1 Welsh Dairy Products: Consumer Study Report Report prepared for DairyCo November 2012

2 This report has been produced by Enterprise Planning & Research Ltd, on behalf of DairyCo and the Welsh Government. Enterprise Planning & Research Ltd Enterprise House, Oxford Road, Stokenchurch, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, HP14 3SX. Disclaimer This report presents a summary of the overall findings of the research which included qualitative and quantitative stages. The results are based on statistics from the research and do not represent the views of DairyCo or the funding organisations. Funding This report has been funded through the 'Improving the Welsh Dairy Supply Chain' project. This project has received funding through the Rural Development Plan for Wales , which is funded by the Welsh Government and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development. 2

3 INDEX 1. INTRODUCTION Project Summary Acronyms Methodology The Dairy Industry in Wales Welsh Milk and Welsh Cheese Other Dairy Products AWARENESS OF WELSH FOOD AND DRINKS Spontaneous Awareness of Welsh Foods Spontaneous Awareness of Welsh Drinks Net Mentions of Welsh Food and Drink Spontaneous Awareness of Welsh Dairy Products Spontaneous Awareness of Welsh Milk and Dairy Products Brands FREQUENCY OF PURCHASING DAIRY PRODUCTS MILK What Welsh Milk Means Purchasing Milk Purchasing Welsh Milk CHEESE What Welsh Cheese Means Cheddar Other Welsh Cheeses OTHER DAIRY PRODUCTS ORGANIC PRODUCE ATTITUDES TOWARDS WELSH FOOD AND DRINK Preference for Welsh Products Comparison of Welsh and UK Dairy Products PROVENANCE Awareness of Geographical Protection Schemes Attitudes towards a Scheme to Protect Welsh Dairy products Importance of Provenance Farm Assured and Red Tractor MILK PROCESSING IN WALES FUTURE PURCHASES OF WELSH DAIRY PRODUCTS CONCLUSIONS Awareness of Welsh Milk Awareness of Welsh Cheese Processing in Wales

4 MANAGEMENT SUMMARY The aim of the research is to gain a better understanding of consumer knowledge and attitudes towards Welsh Dairy products. Introduction and background This study was completed by Enterprise Planning & Research Ltd. on behalf of DairyCo and the Welsh Government. The study has been funded through the 'Improving the Welsh Dairy Supply Chain' project which is funded via the Rural Development Plan for Wales. The research was completed in Spring Approach The study was conducted in two stages, qualitative and quantitative. The qualitative stage was designed to explore the various issues in depth and comprised a programme of six focus groups across Wales, covering a range of demographics and life stages. The quantitative stage was designed to assess the relative importance of the various issues and to identify differences between respondent groups. It comprised a programme of 400 telephone interviews with a representative sample of adults residing in Wales. The dairy industry in Wales The dairy industry in Wales is declining in terms of numbers of farms and cows, currently standing at 1,901 farms and 220 thousand head respectively. Analysis of milk intakes from Wales and England based milk processors suggests that around 51% of milk produced in Wales is processed in dairy factories located in Wales. The balance, approximately 49%, is transported to England for processing. Spontaneous awareness of Welsh food and drink Welsh Cheese was spontaneously mentioned by 29% of the respondents whilst Caerphilly Cheese was spontaneously mentioned by 18% of the respondents. It is interesting to note that Welsh Milk was spontaneously mentioned by 28% of the respondents in the Welsh food category but only by 16% in the Welsh drinks category. Net mentions of Welsh food and drinks A total of 57% mentioned a dairy food product including milk, while half mentioned meat. South West Wales respondents were most likely to mention dairy products and the Valleys least likely. Spontaneous awareness of Welsh dairy products Around 80% of respondents spontaneously mentioned milk and cheese as being Welsh dairy products. Butter, however, was only mentioned by 42%, reflecting the extensive use of spreads. Only 8% could not name any Welsh dairy product. Frequency of purchase Milk is usually bought once or twice a week with cheese and yoghurt bought weekly, butter weekly or monthly and other products less often. 4

5 What Welsh Milk means When asked what Welsh Milk means to them, only three quarters were able to answer, but of these the majority said that the milk would have come from Welsh farms and would have been processed in Wales (42% overall). Some 12% said the milk would be from Welsh farms but not necessarily processed in Wales. Place of purchase - Welsh Milk Almost 90% buy milk at the supermarket with 80% of respondents naming it as the main place for purchase. Main reasons for buying Welsh milk The two main reasons given for buying Welsh branded milk was convenience and support for the industry. Place of purchase - Welsh Cheese 84% buy Cheddar from a supermarket or convenience store. 39% of those buying Cheddar from a supermarket buy a Welsh brand. 25% buy Caerphilly cheese and 11% by local artisan cheeses. 42% of respondents buy Welsh farmhouse or speciality cheeses on an occasional basis. Preference for Welsh products Welsh products are generally preferred, assuming costs are the same, although respondents were undecided as to whether they would buy Welsh products regardless of cost. Importance of provenance The most important factor in terms of provenance was that the product comes from Wales, followed closely with the product being local to the respondent. Benefits of a scheme to protect Welsh dairy products The key advantages were seen as helping to support local farms (33%) and Welsh farms (39%). However, only 6% mentioned assured quality as a benefit of such a scheme. Factors that would encourage more purchase of Welsh products With regard to factors that would encourage more purchases of Welsh products, cost is the key concern together with the need for products to be more recognisably Welsh. 5

6 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 Summary This study has been undertaken by Enterprise Planning & Research Ltd. on behalf of DairyCo and the Welsh Government. The study has been funded through the 'Improving the Welsh Dairy Supply Chain' project which is funded via the Rural Development Plan for Wales. The research was completed in Spring The aim of the research was to gain a better understanding of Welsh consumer knowledge and attitudes towards Welsh dairy products. Beaufort, on behalf of the Welsh Government, conducts an annual survey of food and drink attitudes in Wales, covering topics such as awareness of Welsh brands, purchasing behaviour, factors influencing customer choice of product, the importance of provenance, perceptions of food quality and price and health and environmental concerns. Over the years, Welsh Milk has emerged as the most often spontaneously mentioned Welsh drink and Welsh dairy products are high on the consumer s minds. This report presents a summary of the overall findings of the research therefore if you require further details please contact Head of Dairy Development Wales, Delyth Davies on or by delyth.davies@dairyco.ahdb.org.uk 1.2 Acronyms EPR t SCC DK UK PGI PGO TSG Enterprise Planning & Research Ltd Metric tonne South Caernarfon Creameries Don t Know United Kingdom Protected Geographical Indication Protected Designation of Origin Traditional Speciality Guaranteed 6

7 1.3 Methodology The study was conducted in two stages, qualitative and quantitative. The qualitative stage was designed to explore the various issues in depth and comprised a programme of six focus groups across Wales, covering a range of demographics and life stages. A number of different brands of milk and dairy products were shown to respondents, purchased from supermarkets and convenience stores situated near the group locations. These included supermarket and other brands of milk, cheese, butter and yoghurt. The quantitative stage was designed to assess the relative importance of the various issues and identify differences between respondent groups. It comprised a programme of 400 telephone interviews with a representative sample of adults resident in Wales. Quotas were set on age, sex and occupational group in line with the population and interviews were distributed pro rata across the Unitary Authorities. All respondents were given the option of being interviewed in Welsh. 1.4 The Dairy Industry in Wales The dairy industry in Wales is declining in terms of number of farms and number of cows, currently (November, 2012) standing at 1,901 farms and approx. 220 thousand head respectively. An increase in the average yield per cow has meant that milk output has remained relatively stable and during the last three years there has been a small but steady increase in milk production in Wales. Analysis of milk intakes from Wales and England based milk processors suggests that around 51% of milk produced in Wales is processed in dairy factories located in Wales. The balance, approximately 49%, is transported to England for processing. Of the milk processed in England, around 190 million litres (13% of total Welsh Milk production) is transported back to Wales to be sold as Welsh Milk for sale in supermarkets, other retailers and foodservice outlets. Of the 870 million litres of milk processed in Wales, the vast majority is processed into cheese. In 2010, Wales produced over 80,000 t of cheese, accounting for 90% of the milk processed in Wales. Liquid milk at around 50 million litres is the next largest product category. Yoghurts, clotted creams, ice cream, butter as well as other dairy products made in Wales account for around 4% of the milk processed in Wales. It is estimated that the 55 or so businesses in the small/farmhouse sector account for slightly under 1% of the total Welsh milk production. 7

8 Further information regarding the processing sector can be found in the following reports on the Wales area of the DairyCo website ( Scoping Study of the Welsh Dairy Processing Sector Scoping Study of Small/Farmhouse Processors in Wales. 1.5 Welsh Milk and Welsh Cheese Milk from Welsh farms processed in England and returned to Wales for sale is often labelled as Welsh Milk whilst also carrying a supermarket, retailer or processor s branding. The term Welsh milk can also refer to milk actually processed in Wales and sold under the local producers brand e.g. Calon Wen, Proper Welsh Milk and South Caernarfon Creameries (who sell milk and dairy products under the Dragon brand). The illustrations below show a typical supermarket Welsh Milk bottle, an English processor s milk bottle (Robert Wiseman) and the Dragon brand milk bottle. In some cases, supermarkets sell both their standard own brand as well as a Welsh own brand; some also offer small stocks of other Welsh brands e.g. Calon Wen, Dragon and other branded milk. The term Welsh Cheese can also have several meanings. It can mean Caerphilly cheese, the best known cheese type after cheddar; it can mean one of many locally produced artisan cheeses or it can be Welsh Cheddar, sold under a retailer s or processor s branding. Labelling often indicates that it is processed in Wales, as well as using Welsh milk, but this is not always the case; some packs are labelled as produced in the UK. 8

9 In supermarkets, Welsh Cheddar is often sold alongside English Cheddar with identical packaging and in a variety of strengths: mild, medium, mature etc. (see illustrations below). 1.6 Other Dairy Products English and Welsh butter are also often sold in similar packs. There was no evidence of any generic Welsh cream, yoghurt or ice cream, all of these were being sold as either branded e.g. Rachel s Dairy or the standard supermarket own brand. 9

10 2. AWARENESS OF WELSH FOOD AND DRINKS 2.1 Spontaneous Awareness of Welsh Foods With regard to food, Welsh lamb (40%) was by far the best known, followed by Welsh cheese (29% - excluding Caerphilly) Welsh milk (28%), and Welsh beef (22%). Caerphilly cheese (18%) and Welsh butter (17%) were also reasonably well known. A wide range of other answers were given, each by 4% or fewer. Only 14% could not name any Welsh food. 2.2 Spontaneous Awareness of Welsh Drinks Brains beer and Penderyn whisky (both 19%) were the best known Welsh drinks, followed by Brecon Carreg water (16%) and Welsh milk (16%). The results are similar to previous research undertaken for the Welsh Government. Young people were less likely to be able to mention foods, but more likely to mention drinks. Respondents in South West Wales were more likely to mention food 10

11 products, especially meat and dairy, and those in the Valleys least likely. However, awareness of Caerphilly cheese was comparatively high in this region. 2.3 Net Mentions of Welsh Food and Drinks Some 39% of respondents mentioned milk as either a food or a drink. It is interesting to note that milk is mentioned in both categories with most respondents (28%) spontaneously mentioning Welsh Milk as a Welsh food rather than a Welsh drink (16%). A total of 57% mentioned a dairy food product including milk, while half mentioned meat. Only 16% mentioned vegetables, with leeks the most important. South West Wales respondents were most likely to mention dairy products and the Valleys least likely. 2.4 Spontaneous Awareness of Welsh Dairy Products Around 80% of respondents spontaneously mentioned milk and cheese as being Welsh dairy products. Butter, however, was only mentioned by 42%, reflecting the extensive use of spreads. A third mentioned yoghurt but only small numbers named ice cream, cream or fromage frais. Only 8% could not name any Welsh dairy product. 11

12 2.5 Spontaneous Awareness of Welsh Milk and Dairy Product Brands Under half (47%) were able to name a Welsh milk brand and of these a half mentioned a supermarket brand. South Caernarfon Creameries, also known under the Dragon brand, was the best known nonsupermarket brand, together with Calon Wen. The main supermarkets mentioned were Tesco (15%), Asda (10%) and Sainsbury s (5%). Similarly, under half (45%) were able to name a Welsh dairy product brand. There was, however, a different pattern, with Rachel s Dairy, the best known at 9% followed by SCC/Dragon (6%). Only 8% mentioned a supermarket, primarily Tesco or Asda. 12

13 3. FREQUENCY OF PURCHASING DAIRY PRODUCTS The survey showed a pattern in that most households do a main supermarket shop every week, with some topping up during the week either at the supermarket or convenience store, especially when it came to milk. Some keep to one supermarket, others vary according to special offers, where they happen to be or other factors. A minority shop most days, mainly retired people living near the town centre and shops. Dairy products are generally purchased as part of the main supermarket shop although some will top up milk supplies during the week. Milk is usually bought once or twice a week with cheese and yoghurt bought weekly, butter weekly or monthly and other products less often. Some go to specialist shops, farm shops or farmers markets for special occasions, primarily for meat or cheese. If I do a special dinner or I just want to treat myself, I ll go out of my way to see if I can find something special. But normally in a supermarket, I ll go to the counter and when I pick a cheese, I ll see if they ve got something on special offer, but otherwise I would just get Cathedral (cheddar). 13

14 4. MILK 4.1 What Welsh Milk Means When asked what Welsh Milk means to them, only three quarters were able to answer, but of these the majority said that the milk would have come from Welsh farms and would have been processed in Wales (42% overall). Some 12% said that the milk would be from Welsh farms but not necessarily processed in Wales. Small numbers said local or support for local farms. Focus group respondents had either noticed Welsh branding on supermarket labels or mentioned the small independent Welsh producers. Supermarket labels with clear Welsh indications i.e. flag or dragon, were generally preferred over plainer labels. 14

15 4.2 Purchasing Milk Almost 90% buy milk at the supermarket. In fact, it was the main place of purchase for 80% of respondents. Just under a quarter occasionally use convenience stores but only 8% use them for the main purchase of milk. A similar number have milk delivered. Only 1% never buy milk. The majority of people buy the brand of milk offered by their retailer. Where there is a choice, Welsh milk is preferred but cost is an important factor. I just go out and buy what we can afford, our weekly shopping tends to be in Asda and we ve got the same stuff that we buy every week. We wouldn t look specifically for Welsh products even though my wife is Welsh born and bred. Over half of respondents buy a supermarket brand, with 23% saying Tesco and 16% Asda. Other than this, Cravendale is bought by 5% and Cowbell by 3%. 15

16 4.3 Purchasing Welsh Milk Around two thirds of those buying milk said that it is branded as Welsh. A quarter did not recall Welsh branding with 8% unable to comment. Those who did not recall seeing Welsh branding were then prompted as to whether they recalled seeing Welsh branding on the milk in their normal retail outlets. Some 29% did then recall this, rising to 40% in North Wales and 38% in the South West. There are two main reasons for buying Welsh branded milk: 1. Pragmatic - it s what is offered and is convenient, 2. Relating to support for the industry, either Welsh or local. I think after the foot and mouth crisis the farmers in Wales suffered horribly, so when I see the little Welsh dragon, I think it might help the farmers in Wales. Overall 10% recalled seeing Welsh branded milk but chose not to buy it. The two main reasons were that they buy what they have always bought and the cost compared to non-welsh milk. 16

17 5. CHEESE 5.1 What Welsh Cheese Means While Welsh Milk is very much associated with supermarket branding, the concept of Welsh Cheese tends to mean either a brand or variety, especially Caerphilly cheese. There was little awareness of the concept of generic Welsh Cheddar, as sold by supermarkets. Focus group respondents had generally not realised that Welsh and English Cheddars are offered in virtually identical packaging. I don t think I d notice the difference anyway, to be honest, if I was shopping and they were side by side, I d just pick up the first thing I could put my hands on. 5.2 Cheddar Cheese for many of the respondents is a commodity product, purchased often on the basis of cost or convenience (the resealable packaging of Cathedral City is much appreciated) and used for cooking or everyday use e.g. sandwich filling. The price is the first thing; then you go back and buy it again if you like the taste. 84% buy Cheddar from a supermarket or convenience store and a third of these spontaneously mentioned Cathedral Cheddar. Tesco s cheese (not Welsh specific) was spontaneously mentioned by 15% and Colliers by 9%. Overall, 39% of those buying Cheddar from a supermarket buy a Welsh brand. After prompting, two thirds of the respondents said that they buy Welsh Cheddar in a supermarket or convenience store. The main reason for buying Welsh Cheddar is to support Welsh farms and businesses (42% of those buying), with taste also important (35%). Almost all of those currently buying Welsh Cheddar will continue to do so. It is also interesting to note that over 80% of those not currently buying Welsh Cheddar said they would consider doing so in the future. 5.3 Other Welsh Cheeses A quarter of respondents buy Caerphilly cheese and 11% spontaneously said that they buy local artisan cheeses. A third stated that they only buy Cheddar. After prompting, 42% of respondents said that they buy Welsh farmhouse or speciality cheeses, usually on an occasional basis and as a 17

18 change from their normal purchases. Taste is the main factor leading to purchase, together with the desire for something different and a desire to support local/welsh businesses. 6. OTHER DAIRY PRODUCTS Attitudes towards Welsh butter were similar to those of cheese in that many respondents had not noticed that Welsh and English butters are offered in similar packaging by the supermarkets. When you are in store, you really don t have too much time to look at everything in detail. You buy what you are familiar with. When you are in Tesco and you ve got a child in tow you have time to look at the price but not where it s from. For me, I wouldn t pick up on it being Welsh. Seeing the flag makes it much more noticeable. Butter is bought less regularly than cheese with many respondents using spreads and using butter only for cooking. Yoghurt buying is influenced by fat content, fruit content and family preference, often primarily for children. Price is also important. There was little spontaneous awareness of Welsh yoghurt brands. Cadwaladers ice cream was mentioned but there was no knowledge of Welsh cream or fromage frais. 18

19 7. ORGANIC PRODUCE There is little interest in organic products, primarily because of cost and also because respondents can see little difference between organic and non-organic varieties. Only half ever buy any organic products and only a third ever buy organic dairy products. A third of those buying organic products do so because of the taste and a similar number prefer to avoid chemicals. Other reasons mentioned by smaller numbers included better quality, health, value, environmental benefits and provenance. By far the main reason for not buying organic products is cost, mentioned by 70% of those not buying. Some 29% said that they could tell no difference between organic and other products while 5% cited lack of availability. 19

20 8. ATTITUDES TO WELSH FOOD AND DRINK 8.1 Preference for Welsh Products There is a general preference for Welsh products but this is tempered by economic considerations. There were very mixed views regarding what differential the customer was willing to pay for Welsh products. Telephone respondents were asked to what extent they agreed or disagreed with several statements regarding the purchase of Welsh products. These were: I prefer to buy Welsh food and drink products, assuming costs are similar. I try to buy Welsh food and drink products regardless of cost. It is more important to me to buy local food and drink products than it is to buy Welsh products. I tend to buy Welsh food and drink products only for special occasions. Answers were given on a scale of 1 (disagree strongly) to 5 (agree strongly). Welsh products are generally preferred, assuming costs are the same, although respondents were undecided as to whether they would buy Welsh products regardless of cost. Overall, the majority agreed that local products are more important than Welsh products. The respondents disagreed that Welsh products were only bought for special occasions. 20

21 8.2 Comparison of Welsh and UK Dairy Products Respondents were then asked how Welsh dairy products compare with those from the UK in terms of quality, cost, value and availability, on a 5 point scale where 5 means very much better and 1 means very much worse. It can be seen that the quality of Welsh dairy products is perceived to be better than others with less emphasis on difference in cost, value and availability. 9. PROVENANCE 9.1 Awareness of Geographical Protection Schemes Within the focus groups, there was virtually no spontaneous awareness of schemes specifying geographic provenance of food and drink although, after prompting, respondents identified food such as Cornish pasties, Melton Mowbray pies and Parma ham. No-one who attended the focus groups had come across the terms Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) and Protected Designation of Origin (PDO). Having heard the explanation, one or two suggested Welsh Lamb as having a protected designation. Telephone respondents were asked if they could name any provenance schemes and were then prompted with three: PGI, PDO and Traditional Speciality Guaranteed (TSG). Some 79% claimed to be aware of such schemes but no-one could specifically name any scheme. After prompting, just over half claimed to be aware of one or more schemes. PDO was known by 29%, TSG by 25% and PGI by 21%. Respondents agreed with the principle of the schemes and most consider it important that Welsh produce is protected in this way. 21

22 9.2 Attitudes towards a Scheme to Protect Welsh Dairy Products Respondents were then asked specifically about Welsh dairy products with the majority (87%) being in favour of a protection scheme. This group was then asked what would be the benefits of such a scheme. The key advantages were seen as helping to support both local and Welsh farms. The main reason why I buy Welsh produce is that the Welsh economy is pretty weak so you need to support it. I think it is important to help keep Welsh businesses going otherwise everything will leave the country. 22

23 9.3 Importance of Provenance Respondents were asked how important it is for them to know where their dairy products come from in terms of the location or even the farm. Primarily, the most important factor was for them to know that the product comes from Wales, and secondary that it was local to the respondent. The actual region was slightly less important, while knowledge of the actual farm was neither important nor unimportant. 9.4 Farm Assured and Red Tractor Two thirds of respondents claimed to be aware of the Farm Assured and Red Tractor schemes but under a quarter specifically look out for them when buying food and drink. 23

24 10. MILK PROCESSING IN WALES There is little awareness that most liquid milk from Welsh farms is processed in England. This caused surprise, partly because of the additional food miles involved and also because respondents could not understand the economics. Respondents were evenly divided as to whether it is acceptable to call milk Welsh if it has been processed in England. 53% would be prepared to pay slightly more for their milk to be processed in Wales. A total of 37% stated that they would be willing to pay between 5% and 14% more. It was agreed that it is important for Wales to have a strong dairy sector, in order to preserve jobs and maintain rural communities: I think it s important that there are strong industries full stop, in general. There aren t many strong industries left in Wales now. 24

25 11. FUTURE PURCHASES OF WELSH DAIRY PRODUCTS There is great willingness to purchase more Welsh dairy products in the future as long as the cost is competitive. I am now going to pay more attention to see where it (milk) comes from, if it s from Wales or the UK. With regard to factors that would encourage more purchases of Welsh products, cost is the key concern together with the need for products to be more recognisably Welsh. Smaller numbers mentioned more availability, especially in supermarkets as well as better marketing. I think the larger companies are now beginning to see that there is a market for Welsh produce and they are beginning to do something about it. They are starting to try and keep local customers happy. It s a slow process, you are beginning to see more and more each time you go. Yes, I mean in the Royal Welsh Show, they make a huge show of sort of Welsh food. and the whole thing is all very well publicised, but that s the one time in the year where you see Welsh food when you ve got the television on. A wide range of other answers were given, all by fewer than 3% of respondents. These included: greater choice, support for Welsh or local businesses, more information and the product s ability to meet dietary needs. 25

26 12. CONCLUSIONS 12.1 Awareness of Welsh Milk The findings from this research support the consumer awareness research undertaken annually by Beaufort Research on behalf of the Welsh Government to the extent that both research works conclude that at least a third of the population consider Welsh Milk as a prominent Welsh food or drink. The awareness of Welsh Milk was very high, surprisingly so, when you consider that it is not promoted in any medium. Perhaps this is because supermarket labelling and branding often include the words Welsh Milk alongside a Welsh flag, a dragon or a map of Wales. The significance of the above is key when you consider the behaviour of those using milk. Milk is often needed several times a day, in hot drinks, for breakfast and perhaps for cooking therefore the branded milk container is likely to be handled on multiple occasions during the day. Consequently, it is likely that a Welsh Milk label could be seen, albeit unconsciously, several times a day, keeping it at the forefront of consumers minds. Although there is a general preference for buying Welsh products, respondents stated, however, that milk purchase is very much an automatic process although cost is an important factor. The supermarket shopping trip was described by some as being on autopilot, especially for commodity items such as milk Awareness of Welsh Cheese The picture with regard to Welsh Cheese is very different to that of Welsh Milk. Unlike Welsh Milk there is no clear definition and few appear to be aware of generic Welsh Cheddar as sold by supermarkets, even though Cheddar is by far the most frequently purchased cheese. In fact, there are almost two types of cheese: standard Cheddar for everyday use and more specialist cheese for eating for a change. A number of people said that they don t eat cheese but buy it for sandwiches or use it for cooking. Eating cheese was regarded as eating cheese as a main dish i.e. in a buffet lunch or as a final course at a dinner party, and this is where the speciality cheeses are more likely to be eaten. It is interesting to compare the presentation and labelling of supermarket Welsh Milk and Welsh Cheddar. There is little choice with regard to milk, where as the cheese display of even a medium sized supermarket will include a choice of strengths (mild, medium and mature) offered as both 26

27 English and Welsh Cheddars, very often in almost identical packaging. They are displayed side by side similarly to milk, but it is the strength of the cheese that is the key factor. Alongside these products there are packs of own brand grated and sliced Cheddar in various strengths and packaging and then you have the branded Cheddars, of which Cathedral City is the most prominent. Faced with this array it is not surprising that respondents do not study the various products on offer but choose the nearest pack of own brand or perhaps the familiar products, or those on special offer. It also seems probable that user behaviour of Cheddar and milk purchasers differ once the product has been taken home. Cheese is unlikely to be used more than once a day; furthermore a key benefit of some brands is the re-sealable packaging. This implies that other packs may, once opened, need to be repackaged, e.g. in a plastic bag, cling film or foil, and the original wrapping discarded. The opportunity for the labelling to be seen on a number of occasions is therefore lost, unlike milk, and unlike re-sealable packaged cheeses whose distinctive branding will continue to be visible during the life of the product. In order to increase sales of Welsh Cheddar, it would seem that supermarkets need to change their current labelling and display policy in order to make the Welsh labels more visible, attractive and eye catching indeed more distinctly Welsh. A number of respondents do not buy Welsh products because the labelling does not make the country of origin clear enough Processing in Wales Ironically, Welsh Milk is becoming well recognised even though large quantities of it is processed in England, whereas Welsh Cheddar is not widely recognised, despite the fact that it is being processed in Wales. Key reasons for buying Welsh products are to support Welsh or local farms and businesses and also to reduce food miles. Therefore almost half of the respondents considered it unacceptable to brand milk as Welsh if it had been processed in England. 27