What are the main environmental challenges for La Maison du Gruyère and Gruyère in general?
Sustainability is definitely a topic that is close to our hearts at La Maison du Gruyère and across the entire Gruyère AOP sector.
Its specifications, which are explained here in our exhibition "Le Gruyère AOP voyage au cœur des sens", show all the rules that are directly linked to sustainability.
The Gruyère quality chain is the first aspect of this sustainability.
For example, milk producers are not allowed to deliver milk to a cheese dairy that is more than 20 km away.
So there is real proximity between the producer and the consumer, since the milk is processed here at La Maison du Gruyère every day and then sold directly at the Marché Gruérien.
Is that proximity a cost factor for your producers or for Gruyère production? Does it affect the product’s cost price?
Gruyère producers receive a milk price that is higher than the industrial milk price.
So their milk is given added value, but there are also rules that go along with that, such as the requirement that 70% of the feed must come from the farm itself, and that the milk must be non-silage.
It’s a noble product that we produce, and the rules around its production naturally imply sustainability principles.
What is your purchasing policy for all the beautiful products in your retail space?
We call it the Marché Gruérien. In the Marché Gruérien, you will of course find products from the region. That’s very important to us.
We are also a shop that’s part of the local product supply chain — from the Fribourg terroir.
Purchasing is always done as locally as possible for all fresh goods — biscuits, meringues, meats, cured products.
Everything is sourced within a radius of 20 to 30 kilometers.
Then we also offer Swiss products, including cheeses from a slightly wider region.
We also carry artisanal goods from the region, from Switzerland, or even from Europe.
So yes, the choice of our suppliers is very important.
You’re a client of BioApply products — specifically compostable “bretelle” bags. A conscious choice. How does that fit into your overall packaging approach?
Exactly. And it was the quality of the compostable bag that made the difference, because we needed packaging with a certain level of strength.
For wrapping fresh food products, this quality was exactly what we needed.
And we’ve been very satisfied for over 10 years — 13 years now, I believe.
It’s been a great collaboration.
And we’ve always had very attentive support from BioApply to meet our needs.