The Grate Italian Cheese Bailout

[thirdwave]

http://www.managementtoday.co.uk/channel/T...cheese-bailout/

The grate Italian cheese bailout

Date: 10-Dec-08

Forget banks and carmakers. In Italy the Government is more interested in bailing out the Parmesan industry...

The Italian government has apparently agreed to buy 100,000 wheels of Parmigiano Reggiano and give them to charity, according to the Wall Street Journal, in a bid to prop up the struggling cheese industry. Cheese-makers complain that they’re currently being forced to sell their produce at a loss, so the government is apparently funnelling some €50m in cash to them from a fund intended to help feed poor people. So Italy’s needy and destitute can look forward to some high-quality toppings for their future soup and pasta portions…

The Journal quotes a farmer called Marco Iemmi, who’s apparently been in the business for 30 years – apparently he’s currently selling his cheese (about 15,000 wheels a year, to be precise) for €7.40 a kilo, but it costs him about €8 a kilo to make. Even the Italians can work out that this isn’t economically viable (MT ducks to avoid projectile from in-house scribe of Italian descent). The Parmigiano-making process is apparently ludicrously complicated, requiring certain types of cows and very specific timeframes, so it’s not easy to cut costs – and with the majority of production done by tiny family businesses like Iemmi’s, each of them has very little leverage with buyers to push up prices.

The cynics among you may point out that it sounds rather inefficient for such a labour-intensive industry to be so fragmented, removing the possibility of any economies of scale. But of course Silvio Berlusconi’s government does have form in propping up inefficient business models – just look at Alitalia. On the other hand, we’re rather partial to a sprinkling of Parmigiano on our pasta – so we can’t help but feel relieved that the cheese-makers will live to fight another day

However, although Parmesan may be an Italian speciality, it’s by no means the only one – could this particular intervention turn out to be the thin end of the wedge? ‘We’ve never received a single dime in state aid,’ says Vincenzo Oliviero, who’s the biggest cheese in Italy’s buffalo mozzarella association – another industry that has recently fallen on hard times, with sales down 18% this year. Now a cheese-related precedent has been firmly established, Berlusconi will presumably have a tough job refusing its outstanding aid request.

In the next 12 months the British Government is likely to face some tough choices about which companies or industries deserve financial support from the public purse. But somehow, we can’t see the Treasury bailing out our own culinary champions - fish and chip shops, say. For them and others, it’s likely to be a case of ‘hard cheese’.

[19 year mortgage 8itch]

May I be the first to say

"Blessed are the cheese-makers..."

edit to add link: http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=XiDmMBIyfsU - 1.07 in plus some Not Safe for Work sound a bit after

Edited December 14, 2008 by daiking

[Nelly]

wenmt to Brugge last new year and we had a fukin brilliant cheese plate one night

waiter gave us the full history and reason det for each cheeses it was fantatstic

one thing this shlt hole of a country has fuk all of and its food!

i have never been to another country and seen a sign saying top English food!

Well apart from chavy spanish chav resorts saying english breakfasts that apeal too people in football tops

our food is utter badger @rse

reason for edit- Fuk off!

Edited December 13, 2008 by Nelly

[thecrashingisles]

our food is utter badger @rse

Yes, badger @rse is a real English delicacy.

[Converted Lurker]

Yes, badger @rse is a real English delicacy.

Nelly's posts are ace aren't they, some quality ranting there Nelly, keep it up.

[BXLONDONMAN]

May I be the first to say

"Blessed are the cheese-makers..."

edit to add link: http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=XiDmMBIyfsU (hope its got it in, I've not had chance to watch the clip)

[Nelly]

Nelly's posts are ace aren't they, some quality ranting there Nelly, keep it up.

Its true though, I have done a bit of traveling and have never come across anywhere extolling the virtues of english quisene

If any of you have been to America (not normally a plce of haute cuises ) but fuk me them lads can lay food on fukin steake bigger then your garden!!!

and nice too When Americans decide to do smething they do it well!! Guardian readrs still scoff thinking the empire is still the ducks nuts but they are retrded soiled pampers nappies

[Garry AKA Pod]

wenmt to Brugge last new year and we had a fukin brilliant cheese plate one night

waiter gave us the full history and reason det for each cheeses it was fantatstic

one thing this shlt hole of a country has fuk all of and its food!

i have never been to another country and seen a sign saying top English food!

Well apart from chavy spanish chav resorts saying english breakfasts that apeal too people in football tops

our food is utter badger @rse

reason for edit- Fuk off!

Could you please enlighten us to which cheeses you had?

[blackhole]

our food is utter badger @rse

Couldn't put it any better

Always shocks me when I'm abroad just how good the produce is, and yet how cheap it is. And you wonder why some families in this country don't want a family dinner - its shit!

[Elizabeth]

Its true though, I have done a bit of traveling and have never come across anywhere extolling the virtues of english quisene

Strangly enough cept the English who now have a raft of cooks swearing and carrying on on tele and claiming British food as the new mecca of quisene (I love that spelling ) When I came over here I found 2nd rate new australian quisene being dressed as new British quisene (new Australian without the fresh ingredients) and the real tragedy was that I never got to try Badgers @rse because that was a specialty of the Ivy and I couldn't get a booking.

[Dave Spart]

Its gouda money after bad.

This deal stinks and it makes my blood curdle.

[Cogs]

Its gouda money after bad.

This deal stinks and it makes my blood curdle.

They are whey out of line.

Edited December 13, 2008 by Cogs

[Garry AKA Pod]

I feel the need to stand up for British Cheeses.

[thecrashingisles]

They are whey out of line.

The whole thing's full of holes.

[Garry AKA Pod]

I'm surprised the Dutch cheese industry hasn't died yet. After all, Edam is made backwards.

[music man]

The whole thing's full of holes.

blessed are the cheese makers.

[waitsee]

I was 18 when I first visited this country and I remember before coming to read an Italian guide (I am form Mafialand) saying : "England is a country that has more religions than sauces".

Now I have been living here for 9 years and I love this country, although if you are not careful you can very easily get food poisoned.

I have a personal theory (which of course I think is 100% right ):

The only countries in the world where food is a nuisance are protestant countries: besides the UK, think about the utter Sh!t you find in Germany, Netherlands, Scandinavia. It reall looks like these countries are putting their biggest possible effort to produce the most disgusting edible things you can think of

- Countries of any other religion compete in producing the most delicious things: Catholics (French, Italian, Spanish, Mexican), Muslims, Buddists (Thai, China), Indian (absolutely brilliants) and so on

So my theory is as follow: Protestantism does not allow sins: there is no redemption such as confession, so you just cannot commit any sins (very sad). Enjoying food is one of the seven sins (I believe is called gluttony).

When I first arrived in this country I have lived in a couple of house shares (with really nice British people), but I soon realisedthat if I spent time making a nice meal, buying the proper stuff, cooking it the way it has to be cooked, and so on, the English people in the house would go just crazy: the idea someone could spend time for a nice meal is considered just like a religious offense.

For us in Europe lunch time is considered the most important moment in the day. If you are with friends somewhere, preparing food is the peak of the day: everyone gathers around, helps and discuss about the best way to cut this or how long to cook that and so on.

Diferent worlds and different values

[King Stromba]

This bailout is the thin edge of the wedge.

[Smell the Fear]

If any of you have been to America (not normally a plce of haute cuises ) but fuk me them lads can lay food on fukin steake bigger then your garden!!!

That's because they pump them full of steroids.

There is plenty of good food in this country, the problem is that 95% of the population are disinterested in it. Personally I don't give a f*ck, they can eat dog turds for all I care if it makes them happy.

edit: as for Parmesan, sainsbury's sell it for 18 quid a kilo which is about 20 euros at current fx rates. If they can make it for 8 the problem is the supermarkets are screwing them.

Edited December 14, 2008 by Smell the Fear

[petetong]

I was 18 when I first visited this country and I remember before coming to read an Italian guide (I am form Mafialand) saying : "England is a country that has more religions than sauces".

Now I have been living here for 9 years and I love this country, although if you are not careful you can very easily get food poisoned.

I have a personal theory (which of course I think is 100% right ):

The only countries in the world where food is a nuisance are protestant countries: besides the UK, think about the utter Sh!t you find in Germany, Netherlands, Scandinavia. It reall looks like these countries are putting their biggest possible effort to produce the most disgusting edible things you can think of

- Countries of any other religion compete in producing the most delicious things: Catholics (French, Italian, Spanish, Mexican), Muslims, Buddists (Thai, China), Indian (absolutely brilliants) and so on

So my theory is as follow: Protestantism does not allow sins: there is no redemption such as confession, so you just cannot commit any sins (very sad). Enjoying food is one of the seven sins (I believe is called gluttony).

When I first arrived in this country I have lived in a couple of house shares (with really nice British people), but I soon realisedthat if I spent time making a nice meal, buying the proper stuff, cooking it the way it has to be cooked, and so on, the English people in the house would go just crazy: the idea someone could spend time for a nice meal is considered just like a religious offense.

For us in Europe lunch time is considered the most important moment in the day. If you are with friends somewhere, preparing food is the peak of the day: everyone gathers around, helps and discuss about the best way to cut this or how long to cook that and so on.

Diferent worlds and different values

Absolutely, we like to eat meat pie sandwiches and watch crap telly ...

[mattyboy1973]

wenmt to Brugge last new year and we had a fukin brilliant cheese plate one night

waiter gave us the full history and reason det for each cheeses it was fantatstic

one thing this shlt hole of a country has fuk all of and its food!

i have never been to another country and seen a sign saying top English food!

Well apart from chavy spanish chav resorts saying english breakfasts that apeal too people in football tops

our food is utter badger @rse

reason for edit- Fuk off!

anyone who still believes this folklore BS deserves what they eat. This country has some fantastic produce, including world class cheeses - stiltons, cheddars etc which unfortunately are often more prized on the other side of the channel than here. Its the people in this country who buy ready meals in asda or generally don't really care about what they put on their plate that are the problem. Plenty of what we produce is world leading (eg scottish beef) and its there if you care enough about it to go and look for it. If you expect it on a plate - pun intended - then its true you won't get it but that is also true in other countries.

[Dave Spart]

Some of the jokes on this thread deserve a rind of applause.

[Dave Spart]

anyone who still believes this folklore BS deserves what they eat. This country has some fantastic produce, including world class cheeses - stiltons, cheddars etc which unfortunately are often more prized on the other side of the channel than here. Its the people in this country who buy ready meals in asda or generally don't really care about what they put on their plate that are the problem. Plenty of what we produce is world leading (eg scottish beef) and its there if you care enough about it to go and look for it. If you expect it on a plate - pun intended - then its true you won't get it but that is also true in other countries.

Nice one, mattyboy1973.

Perhaps we should put Nelly and Gordon Ramsey in the same room and see which one comes out alive. Watch that chopper.

Anyone with half a brain cell will also know how much time has been dedicated to new food in the British media over the last decade. This has for me at leaast has been one of the UK's more welcome innovations. Many of our best cooks have become superstars and I take no offence at this, actually its been quite enlightening. Contemporary British cookery is highly inventive and based on principles and styles not on tired classic dishes like pizza, pasta and paella.

(PS Anyone flying on Singapore Airlines will be treated to Ramsey prepared dishes and excellent they are too).

Edited December 14, 2008 by Dave Spart

[anotherdatamoney]

I was 18 when I first visited this country and I remember before coming to read an Italian guide (I am form Mafialand) saying : "England is a country that has more religions than sauces".

Now I have been living here for 9 years and I love this country, although if you are not careful you can very easily get food poisoned.

I have a personal theory (which of course I think is 100% right ):

The only countries in the world where food is a nuisance are protestant countries: besides the UK, think about the utter Sh!t you find in Germany, Netherlands, Scandinavia. It reall looks like these countries are putting their biggest possible effort to produce the most disgusting edible things you can think of

- Countries of any other religion compete in producing the most delicious things: Catholics (French, Italian, Spanish, Mexican), Muslims, Buddists (Thai, China), Indian (absolutely brilliants) and so on

So my theory is as follow: Protestantism does not allow sins: there is no redemption such as confession, so you just cannot commit any sins (very sad). Enjoying food is one of the seven sins (I believe is called gluttony).

When I first arrived in this country I have lived in a couple of house shares (with really nice British people), but I soon realisedthat if I spent time making a nice meal, buying the proper stuff, cooking it the way it has to be cooked, and so on, the English people in the house would go just crazy: the idea someone could spend time for a nice meal is considered just like a religious offense.

For us in Europe lunch time is considered the most important moment in the day. If you are with friends somewhere, preparing food is the peak of the day: everyone gathers around, helps and discuss about the best way to cut this or how long to cook that and so on.

Diferent worlds and different values

Are you saying we lost the empire because they didn’t like our food?

Or did we create the Empire because we hated our food. I bit like a modern day Take Away, with guns….

[Jack's Creation]

May I be the first to say

"Blessed are the cheese-makers..."

edit to add link: http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=XiDmMBIyfsU (hope its got it in, I've not had chance to watch the clip)

That would be Cheeses of Nazareth.