Bosco Triay, President of the CRDO Mahón-Menorca Cheese

FOODIES ON MENORCA/C.M. - Juan Bosco Triay Barber (Maó, 1969) will have been at the helm of the Regulatory Council for the Mahón-Menorca Cheese Designation of Origin for fifteen years next July. He is also the manager of Queso Quintana, a company that has been producing artisanal Mahón-Menorca cheese with Protected Designation of Origin using raw cow's milk since 1940 and now collects around 100 tons of cheese per year. His passion for cheese production and aging led Bosco Triay to become a master cheesemaker and affineur, and he acquired, along with his brother Francesc Triay, the company Hijo de F. Quintana in October 2002. “At Binigaus Vell, we were suppliers of young cheese to Hijo de F. Quintana, C.B. Out of sheer enthusiasm, I began to age cheese on the premises for family and friends whenever we organized a meal. Eventually, I had to stop because my warehouses were full. Until one day, we reached an agreement with Antoni Quintana - God rest his soul - and we bought the business. It was a good deal for both parties, as everyone was satisfied.”

The President of the United States, Donald Trump, announced a little over a month and a half ago a 90-day pause on the tariffs in force that are to be applied to countries with the highest trade deficit with Washington. This is the case for the European Union, which will still be subject to a 20% levy, including on cheese…

Still, during the pause, all tariffs are reduced to 10% on all products entering the country. We are not entirely sure what will happen once those 90 days are over, as negotiations are being carried out by the EU. Be that as it may, the trade balance between the US and the EU is balanced, if I'm not mistaken.

The argument about the trade deficit doesn't seem very convincing…

I suppose the Americans do it because they believe that many of the products they import could be manufactured by American companies, creating jobs within the country. I want to understand that's their intention. Otherwise, the decision doesn't seem logical.

What percentage of foreign sales does the North American market currently represent?

Around 55-56%. The United States is, by far, the country to which we export the largest quantity of cheese. Out of the 191 tons we exported worldwide last year, 110 went to the North American market.

What effect do you foresee the tariffs will have?

Obviously, sales will decrease because when you suddenly increase the price of a product by 20%, the effect on the consumer is immediate. We already have experience with this. Fifteen or sixteen years ago, the dollar and euro were at parity. Suddenly, in two months, the dollar depreciated by 20%. Automatically, our cheese became 20% more expensive. And we lost sales. During the previous Donald Trump administration, the US government raised tariffs by 25%. What did we do? We decided to sell at zero profit and sometimes at a loss, while distributors accepted reducing their profit margin a bit; all to cushion the impact. This way, the increase was barely noticeable, and we didn't lose much. However, there was a year and a half left in the term, and we were able to cope. After the Trump government's announcement, distributors have already called us, but we're clear: we can't lower prices. What we can't do is sell again at zero profit. I suppose we'll have to end up selling our cheeses to other destinations. We're optimistic. This year, we've significantly increased sales in the domestic market. We think that what isn't sold there will be sold here or in other countries.

To which countries do you export?

For example, to the Dominican Republic (31 tons), Germany (10), the United Kingdom (8), Mexico (6), France (4), Denmark (3.5)… to 44 countries, although in some of them, the presence of our cheeses is testimonial: Sierra Leone (20 kilos), Venezuela (27), Cyprus (37), Taiwan (101)…

The Balearic Government has announced around €3.5 million from the emergency plan to help competitiveness and exports, but this money, of course, has to be divided among all the exporting companies in the Islands…

Every bit counts. All resources that come our way for promoting our product are welcome. In a globalized world like ours, it's clear that if there's no promotion, there's no sale. We have years of experience where abundance was accompanied by little promotion, and we lost sales. Why? Well, if you don't promote today, someone else will. I remember when I was young; you'd go to buy cheese, and there were only two types in the stores. Today, you go anywhere, and you find 50 different cheeses. Today, if you stop promoting, you're in a tough spot.

How much money does the CRDO dedicate to promotion each year?

Last year, we dedicated more than €200,000. During the fifteen years I've been president of the CRDO, I can say I'm very pleased with the administrations. Within their means, they've given us what they could.

Are you optimistic about the possibility that the domestic market can absorb the drop in sales in the US?

Yes, we are. Because we're increasingly known abroad, and we've been promoting for many years. In 2024, the market in eastern Spain, towards the south, has grown significantly for us. Across the country, we've grown by 1.5%, about 30 tons more.

What was the overall production last year?

It grew by 1.72%, about 40 tons more. It was a record year, with 2.6 million tons of cheese.

What do consumers appreciate most about our cheese?

It's impressive for its taste as a cow's milk cheese. There's no other cow's milk cheese on the market with the characteristic flavor of Menorca's. This is with a semi-aged cheese. When we talk about an aged cheese, people are impressed. The Catalan market, for example, knows us much better, but in other regions, they ask if it's a sheep's or goat's cheese. The particular taste of Menorca's cheese is due to the land, wind, and sea. In Mallorca, they've been making cheese all their lives, and the taste is nothing like it.

How much does the Menorca cheese industry turn over each year?

Between €26 and €30 million.

How many people live directly off cheese production in Menorca?

Around 500 families.

What has changed the most in the way cheese is made?

What's changed the most in recent years is the quality of artisanal cheese. Sometimes I talk to older people, and they say, “I've never tasted a piece as good as the ones they used to make…” But I have to correct them because it's not true. The cheese made today is much better than it used to be. The thing is, people used to be hungry. Nowadays, you wouldn't eat the cheese they made back then because of how salty it was. Country people today have learned to make cheese. Back then, they knew how to make cheese, but they didn't know how to make quality cheese.

How many members does the CRDO currently have?

Today, there are 42 companies that market Mahón-Menorca cheese with DO. Six of them produce pasteurized cheese, and the rest, artisanal. As affineurs, there are two of us: Queso Quintana and Formatges Torralba, apart from all the places that also age their cheeses and sell them.

What are the main concerns of the industry in Menorca?

First, that we don't lose sales, because in Menorca, there's still a large surplus of milk. Maybe someone will say I'm being naive, but I believe things will go better for everyone the day we're able to transform all of Menorca's milk into cheese.