The Cheese Geek: a delicious design challenge

Packaging Solutions

It is probably an understatement to say that The Cheese Geek is passionate about cheese.

That joy starts from the very moment the customer receives the carefully prepared package, so, true to form, The Cheese Geek has poured its attention into ensuring that it is a seamless first impression.

Which is where Smurfit Kappa’s Gosport site stepped in. Richard Simpson, The Cheese Geek’s COO, got in touch with Wesley Dowe, sales executive at Smurfit Kappa Gosport via LinkedIn, and Wes has been working hard to meet his requirements.

The Cheese Geek was growing fast and needed to improve its packaging. The company wanted nothing short of perfection: a box that would not only look good but work for customers as well.

It was also wanting to optimise sizing, as well as looking for a way to speed up the shipping process and cut down on labour hours. Importantly, it was also keen that the box should be sustainable.

One key problem that The Cheese Geek was keen to tackle was how it could accelerate the packing process.

Before meeting with Smurfit Kappa, the company was using a FEFCO 0201 box, and had dedicated team members assembling the boxes as needed every morning, ready for delivery shipments to go out that day.

Smurfit Kappa Gosport’s solution – a bespoke crash lock box design – meant that the boxes took seconds to erect, without the need for tape. This allowed employees to grab a box as and when it was needed and quickly assemble – a huge improvement for The Cheese Geek operations. It saved money on manpower hours, gave more operational space to work with, and also meant it would always have a supply of ready to go boxes, no matter how many unexpected orders came in that day.

Of course, this design wasn’t purely functional: it also gave an air of sophistication, allowing The Cheese Geek’s branding to shine and continue the brilliant customer experience from browsing to unboxing.

It was decided that the packaging should be printed flexographically, in two colours.

Playing into its green ethos, Smurfit Kappa Gosport recommended The Cheese Geek use bespoke sized boxes, enabling optimisation for the contents and reduction in material use/waste. The more tailored the boxes’ sizes, the less air is shipped. This has two key benefits: more economical in terms of shipping space, as more boxes can fit into vehicle, and offers a way to make the brand eco friendlier, reducing the number of vehicles on the road. Lastly, bespoke packaging designed to fit products contained, means that the contents are more secure and more likely to arrive intact.