It was perhaps not quite as it might first be perceived, the decision that the board of Tine made on Wednesday. The jubilation died down as it became clear that the dairy in Lom og Skjåk will not make the cheese that today has the name “Gudbrandsdalsost G35”. The production of the G35 will be moved within a couple of years. Instead, the dairy in the north of Gudbrandsdalen will develop a new product: a new pot-cooked brown cheese. The confusion arises when Tine, at least for the time being, also calls this new variety “Gudbrandsdalsost”. The name and packaging have not been clarified, nor how much Tine aims to produce. But the new cheese will be produced in Gudbrandsdalen, based on the original recipe and method behind G35. Ergo, it is a “gudbrandsdal cheese”. Disappointment and anger – In principle, a closure, says farmer and local politician Terese Rudi. She is frustrated that the brand name is disappearing from Gudbrandsdalen and that local jobs are closing down. – Tine clearly has a very good communications department, which manages to make this a celebration. They sell an adventure story, she says. FAIRY TALE: Farmer and local politician Therese Rudi is disappointed with Tine and believes they are trying to sell a fairy tale. Photo: private Ingrid Wilberg Arnesen, director of communications at Tine, disagrees that they are presenting a “fairy tale”. – There is something special about brown cheese made the old-fashioned way. Therefore, it has also been decided that Lom and Skjåk will continue to produce this pot-cooked Gudbrandsdal cheese. It is not a game for the gallery. Read the full statement from Tine a little further down in the case. Pot-boiled cheese Throughout the day on Thursday, there was uncertainty about which type of brown cheese should be cooked the old-fashioned way in Gudbrandsdalen. On Friday morning, Tine’s communications director therefore clarified to news: – The production of G35 will be moved to Byrkjelo and Storsteinnes – where 90% of this cheese is already produced today. But Wilberg Arnesen still insists that it is the “gudbrandsdal cheese” that will be produced in Lom and Skjåk. – Yes, they will produce Gudbrandsdalsost in Lom and Skjåk, but then under a new brand name, or a new concept. So they will produce Gudbrandsdal cheese, she says. CHEESE FROM THE GUDBRANDSDALEN: Ingrid Wilberg Arnesen, communications director at Tine, acknowledges that it is a bit difficult to understand concretely which cheese will be produced in Lom and Skjåk. Photo: Pressefoto / Tine This is how Tine explained the matter in the press release on Thursday: “…The Group Board of TINE has therefore decided that the brown cheese produced in the ordinary way will take place at TINE Byrkjelo and TINE Storsteinnes, while TINE Lom and Skjåk will continue to produce smaller pot-produced products such as søst, gomme and dravle, as well as some selected brown cheese varieties such as Bestemorost, Goat cheese stølstype and Innherred cream cheese.” Wilberg Arnesen acknowledges that it may be a little difficult to understand. – G35 will be moved to Storsteinnes and Byrkjelo. And then Lom and Skjåk will continue to produce, in exactly the same way as they do, a brown cheese produced and cooked in these pots, but under a new product or concept, says Wilberg Arnesen. How does Tine explain the matter? Ingrid Wilberg Arnesen in Tine writes to news: “TINE has been clear all along about the decision the group board has adopted. So this is no fairy tale. Sales of the white milk in TINE have decreased by almost 40 per cent in the last 10 years. And we eat 30% less brown cheese today than we did just 15 years ago. In addition, we have an increasing import of dairy products and strong competition in the market. Therefore, we must adapt and build our plant structure for the future. It has been decided that operations at the plant in Lom and Skjåk will continue, but on a smaller scale. This will affect our employees in that there will be a reduction in the number of employees. We will now investigate how many this applies to. It is a tough message for the employees to receive, and we are of course keen to take care of our people going forward. We have a good tradition of doing that at TINE. In collaboration with both the employees concerned – and union representatives. The production of G35 will be moved to Byrkjelo and Storsteinnes – where 90% of this cheese is already produced today. We are also happy about the commitment we have seen recently – it confirms that we have products and brands that really mean something to people. There is something special about brown cheese made the old-fashioned way. Therefore, it has also been decided that Lom and Skjåk will continue to produce this pot-cooked Gudbrandsdal cheese. It is not a game for the gallery. Now we will look at how to build and grow this Gudbrandsdal cheese with a view to both design and marketing going forward. TINE will do its part to safeguard the Gudbrandsdal cheese made the old-fashioned way – in Lom & Skjåk. Time will tell how big this volume will be. Because TINE cannot bear the responsibility of taking care of Norwegian food traditions alone. We have to take with us both our customers and the consumers, who ultimately have to choose this Gudbrandsdal cheese in the shop.” – Cunning Sigurd Rønningen works at Gull og Gråstein, which markets businesses in Gudbrandsdalen. He believes people have been deceived. – This is contrived by Tine. He points out that a lot of Gudbrandsdalers cheered on Thursday, because they thought that Gudbrandsdal cheese G35 and the cheese factory in the valley had been saved. – But we have lost the cheese and the cheese factory, says Rønningen. – Now they have an excuse to close down in three years, because then the cheese will no longer be produced there, he says. Local patriot Sigurd Rønningen thinks Tine is cunning, and has no faith that a new cheese will hit the market. Photo: Ivar Arne Nordrum / news Disappointment at the dairy Kjell Magne Lunna is a shop steward at the dairy in Lom og Skjåk. And he is very disappointed. – Even if the plant remains, it will be scaled down and we will lose some production. Especially G35, which is the cheese we are most proud of. We will not be producing it here in the future, says Lunna. But he is cautiously happy that they will make a brown cheese according to the original recipe. Plant manager Frode Aurmo and shop steward Kjell Magne Lunna are disappointed and uncertain about the future. Photo: Ivar Arne Nordrum / news – It will be a pot-boiled cheese from Lom and Skjåk. There is a small bright spot there, you could say. The dairy in Gudbrandsdalen will therefore continue to produce smaller pot-produced products such as custard, gomme and dravle. And some selected brown cheese varieties such as Bestemorost, Geitost stølstype and Innherred cream cheese. In addition to the new brown cheese product. Plant manager at the dairy, Frode Aurmo, does not know how many employees they can keep. – It is terribly difficult to say. It obviously depends on how this new cheese, which they say they will try to get into the market, will land on. Best solution Celebrity chef Arne Brimi, who until now has fought for Gudbrandsdal cheese G35 to be made in Gudbrandsdalen, is very pleased. He has entered into an agreement with Tine to help develop the new concept. That is, the new pot-cooked brown cheese. – Now Tine has made a huge decision! Which also includes that others will be allowed to develop this further and create opportunities. Then it is up to us who are here, around this phenomenal brand, to create enthusiasm, says Brimi. Celebrity chef Arne Brimi believes Tine has made a very good decision. He will help develop the new brand in Lom and Skjåk. Photo: Aleksandr Nedbaev / news He thinks that Gudbrandsdal cheese has a good history, and believes that it is in history that you find the opportunity for a future. – Those of us who are concerned with our own identity and our own history have faith in this, says Brimi. Doomed to fail Marketer and local patriot Sigurd Rønning has no faith that Tine will succeed in marketing, and come out with a new, pot-cooked cheese that no one has heard of before. – The answer is that it cannot be done. – What they are going to do is to try a somewhat half-hearted storytelling, which is not going to have enough impact. Then they have an excuse to close down in three years, says Rønningen.
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Full argument about Gudbrandsdal cheese – production of G35 is moved out of Gudbrandsdalen – news Innlandet – Local news, TV and radio
