The British Cheese Board commissioned the ‘Cheese Futures’ competition to challenge and explore the current boundaries of cheese packaging, and identify what consumers might expect to see on supermarket shelves in the future. This is the first time a design initiative on this scale has been undertaken within the cheese industry.
26 students from across the globe, who are studying an MA in Industrial Design at Central Saint Martins, took part in the project. The students were tasked with reinventing traditional cheese packaging, with the winning submission created by 22-year-old Pauline Jaramillo from Paris, France.
Her concept – ‘The Hug’ (a small rucksack designed to hug a piece of fruit) – was selected as the overall winner. This simple yet effective concept was chosen because it clearly communicated the importance of portion control and the versatility of cheese as an alternative nutritional snack that can be enjoyed with fruit as part of a healthy, balanced diet.
Jerry Yang from Taiwan was the runner-up. His hard cheese ‘Shaker’ and ‘Twist’ packet featured perforated cheese shaker lids to make cheese decanting easier and more efficient for the consumer at home.
Steve Williams from Brighton in the UK was awarded third place for his ‘It’s Alive’ Stilton packaging that was visually appealing and practical, as the design incorporated a reusable cheese-slicing mechanism.
Nigel White, secretary of the British Cheese Board, said: “The purpose of the ‘Cheese Futures’ project was to challenge the next generation of designers to think about cheese packaging in a completely new and different way, and the concepts delivered by the students didn’t disappoint. I really believe that some of these concepts are viable additions to the packaging we currently see on our shelves, and could be adopted and brought to market by the industry.”
In addition to the guidance and support provided by the British Cheese Board, the students benefited from advice and support from a number of industry specialists. P&W Design led a question and answer session at the outset of the project, while North Downs Dairy hosted the students on a tour of their cheese packaging plant in Somerset. Both companies joined PFM Packaging and the British Cheese Board to judge the competition.
Source: British Cheese Board
© FoodBev Media Ltd 2024