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Fromage – the art of a cheese shop’s survival

March 18, 2021   ·   0 Comments

By Constance Scrafield

The creative mind is that of an artist, whatever the subject matter. Surviving COVID protocols and enforced restrictions at best and shut-downs at worst, has brought forth more creativity than was realized. This is how Christine Patton, owner of the beautiful Fromage, used her creative talent to deal with Covid and still sell fine cheese.

“It’s been challenging,” she told the Citizen during a telephone interview. “You’re constantly having to re-invent your offering. As the new rules and regulations come and go; as things change, I couldn’t [lay out] a large cheese tray where people could graze. Now I have to do individual boxes. People can’t gather but they still want that family feeling.”

For instance, “For valentine, we did boxes with a nice collection – people want to celebrate whether they can gather or not. These did very well.”

Anyone who has been to Fromage will know, as she explained, “The best way to sell my product is by sampling. I can’t do that now. These days, my customers really have to trust me and it’s really listening to what they like that works.”

She said, “I’m not running at full capacity just to be careful. I’ve been fortunate that I’ve been able come up with ideas and the community has been really supportive, by supporting local. That awareness has been really great.”

Her customers still love doing their own charcuterie platters at home for their family and Ms. Patton can sell the products for them to assemble their platters at home. She is selling meats now, as well, locally made Italian meats from Kitchener

“That’s a really nice addition,” was her comment, adding, “I keep them in my Starbucks cooler that I got it from an old Starbucks store, so, I call it that. It’s perfect for the meats.”

Any shop that caters to regulars needs to bring in new ideas, new products and this is no less true for Fromage.

To accommodate that need, Ms. Patton said, “I’ve made some good connections in the industry. I’m more interested in Canadian cheeses. So, I did a road trip to Mountainoak in New Hamburg. I’ve developing those relationships with artisan cheese makers, Gunn’s Hill, Woodstock; others in Stratford. There’s another, a sheep farm, just outside Mount Forest with cheeses and lamb Charcuterie but I need to have more business to stock them all.”

She has high praise for the how the cheese industry in Canada is developing. She commented that they are really being innovative.

“Kind of exploding, winning awards; cheese makers in Quebec, we like to bring those in and a couple out of BC that I just love, with amazing flavour and great quality,” Ms. Patton enthused.

Interestingly, we learned from her that a lot of them are independent, family run –businesses.

“They’re playing with cheese,” she praised them. “I’ve always thought that when you’re playing with it, some works great or try something else. Using different herbs, various kinds of alcohol – and fruits.

“Because I sell a lot of artisan cheese, family made, we notice the difference from wheel to wheel. A family run cheese farm is so hands on.”

For flavoured cheese, Ms. Patton discerns three categories: herbs and spices, including cumin, clove or chilli peppers; another category is cheese infused or soaked with stout or champagne. The third is with fruit, the majority of which, as she instructed us, comes from the U.K.: white Stilton and Wensleydale.

“In my opinion, these are dessert cheeses,” said she.

“Every cheese has its market,” she continued. “Fromage has been open for seven years in June; this is knowing your customers. We have two real distinct demographics, a little bit more urban: people who have had the chances to taste a wide range of cheeses. But a lot of people come from outside who maybe wouldn’t come into a specialty store but someone has told them about us. Because they have made that step into my store, they are willing to try and those are the ones I loved giving samples to, which, however, I can’t do at the moment. My customers are all ages, all economic demographics. They know that I’ll work with them, that there are no dumb questions.”

Facing all the difficulties that have confronted everyone, there is a problem with some supplies, she admitted. Even when there was the first lock down, she was not letting customers in. It was not until June 2020 that she let people in, not until she had all her protocols in place for herself, staff and for customers.

“I have older people coming in” she remarked. “And they have to be kept safe.”

Still: “I have a creative mind and one thing that has happened over the years, I have developed a pairing, one cheese with the others. I’m not sure why and how but it comes into my palate but it always makes for great combinations. It’s playing; when I do get to do a tray for a family, the old saying. ‘the eye has to eat as well’ comes into it. There’s playing and it’s listening to ask the questions in order to make the right recommendation. You really have to know what a customer likes and doesn’t like.”

As for tables, right now people can generally eat inside, ten capacity; patios can open. Fromage can place one table in front of each of the windows, with the use of three feet outside the door.

“Before COVID,” Ms. Patton said, “I had a bistro menu but it’s scaled back. Our pastry crust is made by hand; everything’s made from scratch, using the best quality ingredients. There are a lot of places to eat in town and they are focussing solely on that but I have other things to offer. I admire the restaurants for doing all that work, sanitizing everything, asking all those questions.”

She reflected, “I’ve learned a lot, that’s for sure. I’m pretty proud of how I’ve managed by taking it one day at a time. My grandmother used to say, ‘When you’re scared and you do it anyway, that’s great…’”

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