Isigny Sainte-Mère sets sail for Caledonia
NOT far from Jersey on the north coast of France, a dairy co-operative goes about its work, crafting cream, butter, cheeses and, of course, fromage frais.
With distribution that spans from the USA and Brazil to Singapore and New Zealand, Isigny Sainte-Mère is no stranger to exporting its French dairy produce further afield, and the firm is looking to expand in the Scottish market.
Claire Loyen, Isigny Sainte-Mère’s food technologist for the UK & Ireland told Scottish Grocer that the firm’s fromage frais range offers stores a versatile option that works well in the warmer months.
“What our customers fancy about our fromage frais at this time of year is that they are really fresh and savoury,” she said.
“When the sun comes out in the UK, fromage frais can act as a healthy alternative to ice cream, since we make it fat free.
“Plus, it’s really tasty and you can add whatever fruit, sweets, or anything you want to eat with it. We also have fromage frais with fruits in a ready to eat format.”
Our fromage frais can be enjoyed simply plain, or with fruits and sweets as a dessert, but it can also be used as an alternative to regular cream.
The versatility of Isigny’s fromage frais isn’t limited to adding a bit of fruit to brighten up a summer snack, according to Loyen, who reckons it’s a product that ticks plenty of contemporary trend boxes, from the low-fat to the high protein content.
“Our Isigny Sainte-Mère fromage frais can be enjoyed simply plain, or with fruits and sweets as a dessert, but it can also be used as an alternative to a regular cream you would use to prepare cakes for example.
“Its unctuous texture and smooth/acidic taste, combined with the fact that it is fat free, and offers a great protein intake makes it the perfect companion for athletes and people with specific diets.”
Isigny Sainte-Mère currently offers fromage frais in 150g and 500g pack formats, which, Loyen suggests, cover off a variety of shopping missions.
“The 150g format is perfect for one person, as a snack, or a dessert for lunch. The portion just fits a person’s needs.
“As for the 500g format, it’s nice to have it shared in a family environment or with friends, or to use it for cooking,” she said.
And it’s not just fromage frais that Isigny Sainte-Mère wants to see in Scottish-stores, the French co-op could be bringing another on-trend dairy treat to British shores in the near future.
“We’re currently developing a French Normandy quark,” said Loyen.
“It will comply with all of the Isigny Sainte-Mère values of authenticity, health and tasty consumption.”
• Isigny Sainte-Mère stocks a broad range of French sourced fromage frais with flavours ranging from raspberries to caramelised apples.
The co-operative was formed from the merger of the Isigny-sur-Mer co-op formed in 1932 and the Sainte-Mère co-op founded in 1902.
