Cheap cheese

[Gob]

A French monastery in the heart of Burgundy has launched an emergency online sale to get rid of thousands of its artisanal cheeses, which are languishing in its cellars as Covid-19 keeps buyers away.



The Cîteaux abbey, just south of Dijon, birthplace of the Cistercian Catholic order, usually sells its raw-milk, semi-soft discs only to restaurants or visitors its on-site shop. But a drop in demand since the coronavirus crisis erupted last year has left the abbey’s 19 Trappist monks with 4,000 cheeses too many, a 2.8-tonne problems.

“We tried explaining to our 75 cows that they needed to produce less milk but they don’t seem to have understood,” said brother Jean-Claude, in charge of marketing at the monastery, which was founded in 1098.

“Our sales are down nearly 50%,” he said, with French restaurants still closed since 30 October as authorities try to stifle a third wave of cases. “We need to clear out our stock.”

A Cistercian monk and the library of Cîteaux Abbey, about 19 miles south of Dijon, south-eastern France. Photograph: AFP/Getty
The monk’s cheese last year won the silver medal at last year’s international food and drink competition in Lyon, a bastion of France’s culinary heritage.

The monks have teamed with the internet startup Divine Box, which sells products made by abbeys in France and elsewhere, with a goal of selling at least a tonne of cheese by Tuesday. The minimum order is two wheels at 23 euros (£20) each, plus shipping.

According to the site, 700kg has already been ordered. “We’re going to make it,” Jean-Claude said.

[Long Run]

“We’re going to make it,” Jean-Claude said.

Isn't that the problem?

Alternatively, they could go to science labs and provide the reward for the mice mazes.

[Scooter]

Or, gee, I don't know, distribute it to the poor. Perhaps too radical a concept for an institution supposedly devoted to God's work.

[Bicycle Bill]

Or, gee, I don't know, distribute it to the poor. Perhaps too radical a concept for an institution supposedly devoted to God's work.

In the words of Charles Emerson Winchester, "It is sadly inappropriate to give dessert to a child who's had no meal."
(M*A*S*H; season 9, episode 5; "Death Takes a Holiday").  Or fancy-schmancy cheese to someone who might not even have bread on which to spread it.

Better they sell the cheese for whatever the market will bear and then, if you insist, donate the revenue to provide a wider range of basic, essential foodstuffs or other support to 'the poor'.

-"BB"-

[Scooter]

Apparently the market isn't bearing much of anything right now, which is rather the point.

[Bicycle Bill]

Apparently the market isn't bearing much of anything right now, which is rather the point.

1) The market did bear it.  According to the Divine Box website, they have sold the entire quantity (one metric ton/2200 US pounds)
2) Minimum order was two wheels (each wheel approx 700g) for €22.9 (approx ₤19.6 or US$27.00).
3) This means each order was for roughly three pounds of cheese at $9.00 per pound.  I have no idea what the normal price is/was.
4) Doing the maths, this means that the monks were able to gross roughly $1235 instead of take a total loss.

Even assuming Divine Box takes a cut, that still leaves the monastery with a pretty penny to continue their good works — which I'm sure involves more than just milking cows and making artisanal cheese.
 
-"BB"-

[ex-khobar Andy]

4) Doing the maths, this means that the monks were able to gross roughly $1235 instead of take a total loss.

4000 cheeses at €22.9 for 2 = €45800 = $55,000 or so.

[Bicycle Bill]

4) Doing the maths, this means that the monks were able to gross roughly $1235 instead of take a total loss.

4000 cheeses at €22.9 for 2 = €45800 = $55,000 or so.

Where did you get 4000 cheeses?  They were selling one metric ton — 1000 kilos of cheese; and each cheese was 700 grams (7/10 of a kilo), which is just a little over 25 US ounces.  So if each cheese is 7/10 of a kilo, it would take only 1430 cheeses to make a metric ton ... a fair distance from 4000.

However, after re-checking my calculations, I found that I was still short, just not as much as you thought I was.  Since there were selling the cheeses 2 at a time for €22.9, this means they sold roughly 715 boxes (1430 divided by two).  715 x €22.9 = €16373.5, which works out to be US $19,360 instead of a mere $1235.

I don't know how I screwed up that badly — I think it's because I converted from euros and kilograms to dollars and ounces right away rather than waiting until the end and confused myself.  Regardless, my dad (who was a math teacher back in the days before I was even a twinkle in his eye) was probably spinning like a turbine in his grave, and is probably starting to slow back down only now.

-"BB"-

[ex-khobar Andy]

Where did you get 4000 cheeses?

Second line of the piece you quoted. That's their plan; they are only quarter of the way there yet.

[Econoline]

Where did you get 4000 cheeses?

The Cîteaux abbey, just south of Dijon, birthplace of the Cistercian Catholic order, usually sells its raw-milk, semi-soft discs only to restaurants or visitors its on-site shop. But a drop in demand since the coronavirus crisis erupted last year has left the abbey’s 19 Trappist monks with 4,000 cheeses too many, a 2.8-tonne problem.

[Scooter]

They have 4000 cheeses = 2.8 tonnes. The goal was to sell a tonne. To the time of writing they had orders for 700 kg = 1000 cheeses / 2 X €22.90 = €11,450.