Report Summary
“Despite the stressful events of recent years, the popularity of cheese has persevered as the market has remained accessible and affordable to consumers, regardless of their financial situation. The past year has seen opportunities for private label retailers to grow and improve the value of their products, which has resulted in increased consumer engagement. From this, it is expected that the progression of the IoI cheese market will continue with new cheese variations coming to the forefront as well.”
– Rebecca Blenman, Research Analyst
This Report looks at the following areas:
- The impact of the cost of living crisis on the cheese market
- The growth of the Irish cheese industry
- Opportunities for improved sustainability practices
- The impact of the conflict in Ukraine
- Inspiration of social media trends on consumers’ cheese use.
Table of Contents
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Overview
- What You Need to Know
- Key Issues covered in this Report
- COVID-19: Market Context
- Issues covered in this Report
- What You Need to Know
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Executive Summary
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- The market
- The five-year outlook for cheese
- Figure 1: Outlook for cheese, 2023-28
- Predicted growth of the IoI cheese market
- Figure 2: Estimated retail sales of cheese, by value sales, IoI, NI and RoI (Adjusted for COVID-19), 2017-27
- Long-term growth of 4.5% is anticipated
- Figure 3: Estimated retail sales of cheese, by value sales, IoI (Adjusted for COVID-19), 2017-27
- Cheese prices continued to increase in 2022
- Figure 4: Consumer price indices of cheese and curd products, UK (including NI) and Ireland, 2021-23
- Consumers expect the conflict in Ukraine to have a smaller impact than before
- Figure 5: “What, if any, effect do you think that the situation in Ukraine will have on your household’s finances?”, IoI, 2022-23
- The cost of living crisis turning consumers to private label cheeses
- Figure 6: “Are you expecting to do any of the following as a result of rising prices?”, IoI, 2023
- Irish cheese production has continued success
- Advancements in the sustainability efforts of cheese producers
- Figure 7: Key factors driving consumer behaviour around surroundings, IoI, 2022
- Social media highlights the versatility and appeal of cheese
- Innovations
- The consumer
- Consumers continue to eat cheese a few times a week
- Figure 8: Frequency of consumers’ cheese consumption/use, NI and RoI, 2023
- Cheddar remains the most popular type of cheese
- Figure 9: Types of cheese bought in the last three months, NI and RoI, 2023
- Cheese most commonly eaten with bread
- Figure 10: Ways that cheese has been eaten/used in the last three months, NI and RoI, 2023
- Consumers express interest in functional cheese
- Figure 11: Consumer attitudes towards cheese, NI and RoI, 2023
- Cheese is a popular snack choice
- Figure 12: Consumers behaviours towards cheese, NI and RoI, 2023
- What we think
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The Market – Key Takeaways
- Predicted growth of the IoI cheese market
- Long-term growth of 4.5% is anticipated
- Cheese prices continued to increase in 2022
- Consumers expect the conflict in Ukraine to have smaller impact than before
- The cost of living crisis is turning consumers to private label cheeses
- Irish cheese production enjoys continued success
- Advancements in the sustainability efforts of cheese producers
- Social media highlights the versatility and appeal of cheese
- Predicted growth of the IoI cheese market
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Market Sizes and Forecast
- The five-year outlook for cheese
- Figure 13: Outlook for cheese, 2023-28
- Continued growth expected of the IoI cheese market
- Figure 14: Estimated retail sales of cheese, by value sales, IoI, NI and RoI (Adjusted for COVID-19), 2017-27
- Growth of 4.5% between 2022 and 2027 is predicted
- Figure 15: Estimated retail sales of cheese, by value sales, IoI (Adjusted for COVID-19), 2017-27
- The five-year outlook for cheese
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Market Drivers
- Cheese prices on a sustained increase in 2022
- Figure 16: Consumer price indices of cheese and curd products, UK (including NI) and Ireland, 2021-23
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- Figure 17: Annual percentage change of consumer price indices of all items, UK (including NI) and Ireland, February 2022-23
- The impact of the conflict in Ukraine
- Figure 18: “What, if any, effect do you think that the situation in Ukraine will have on your household’s finances?”, IoI, 2022-23
- The impact of the cost of living crisis
- Figure 19: “Are you expecting to do any of the following as a result of rising prices?”, IoI, 2023
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- Figure 20: Selected consumer attitudes towards own-label food and drink, NI and RoI, 2022
- Irish cheese production continues to grow/expand
- Cheese producers commit to going green
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- Figure 21: Key factors driving consumer behaviour around surroundings, IoI, 2022
- Social media boosting profile of unique cheeses
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- Figure 22: Consumers who have used TikTok more, about the same or less compared to before the COVID-19/coronavirus outbreak, NI and RoI, 2022
- Cheese prices on a sustained increase in 2022
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Innovations – Key Takeaways
- Cheese packaging considerate of the environment and convenience
- Consumers are ready to try plant-based/vegan alternatives
- Texture elevates the experience
- Opportunities for premium private label cheese
- Cheese packaging considerate of the environment and convenience
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Who’s Innovating?
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- Eco-friendly and convenience upgrades to packaging
- Figure 23: Top 10 claims in the cheese market, UK and Ireland, 2018-22
- Figure 24: “It’s most important that food packaging…”, NI and RoI, 2022
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- Figure 25: Cheese products with convenient packaging, UK (including NI), 2022
- Figure 26: Product features that indicate a food or drink is good value for money, IoI, 2022
- Increased activity in plant-based/vegan cheese
- Figure 27: Vegetarian, vegan/no animal ingredients and plant-based claims in the cheese market, UK and Ireland, 2018-22
- Figure 28: New releases of plant-based/vegan cheese from popular cheese brands, UK and Ireland, 2022
- Cheese brings sensory enjoyment
- Figure 29: New releases of cheese products, by texture, UK and Ireland, 2018-22
- Figure 30: New releases of cheese with smooth, crunchy and melt-in-the-mouth textures, UK and Ireland, 2022
- Growth of private-label premium cheese
- Figure 31: New releases of premium private label and branded cheese, UK and Ireland, 2018-22
- Figure 32: New releases of premium private label cheese products, UK and Ireland, 2022
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Companies and Brands
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- Arla Foods
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
- Brand NPD
- Figure 33: New cheese releases under the Arla Foods brands, UK (including NI), 2023
- Recent developments
- Carbery
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
- Recent developments
- Cashel Blue Farmhouse Cheesemakers
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
- Recent developments
- Dale Farm
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
- Recent developments
- Dairy Crest/Saputo Dairy
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
- Brand NPD
- Figure 34: New cheese releases under the Saputo Dairy brands, UK, and Ireland (including NI), 2023
- Recent developments
- Dairygold
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
- Recent developments
- Kerry Group
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
- Recent developments
- Glanbia
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
- Recent developments
- Mondelez International
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
- Brand NPD
- Figure 35: New cheese releases under Mondelez brands, UK, and Ireland (including NI), 2023.
- Recent developments
- Ornua
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
- Brand NPD
- Figure 36: New cheese releases under Ornua brands, UK, and Ireland (including NI), 2023.
- Recent developments
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Consumer – Key Takeaways
- Consumers continue to eat cheese a few times a week
- Cheddar remains the most popular type of cheese
- Cheese most commonly eaten with bread
- Consumers express interest in functional cheese
- Cheese is a popular snack choice
- Consumers continue to eat cheese a few times a week
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Frequency of Cheese Consumption
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- Consumers eat/use cheese a few times a week
- Figure 37: Frequency of consumers’ cheese consumption/use, NI and RoI, 2023
- Figure 38: Consumers who typically eat/use cheese 2-3 times a week, NI and RoI, 2020-23
- Parents tend to eat/use cheese more often
- Figure 39: Consumers who typically eat/use cheese 4-6 times a week, by children in household, NI and RoI, 2023
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- Figure 40: “In our household, the adults and children mostly eat…?”, NI and RoI, 2021
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Types of Cheese Purchased
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- Cheddar remains the most favoured cheese
- Figure 41: Types of cheese bought in the last three months, NI and RoI, 2023
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- Figure 42: Selected key factors driving consumer behaviours around experiences and wellbeing, IoI, 2022
- Figure 43: New releases of flavoured cheese, Global, 2022
- Consumers who work full-time buy different varieties of cheese
- Figure 44: Selected types of cheese bought in the last three months, by working status, NI and RoI, 2023
- Figure 45: Selected types of cheese bought in the last three months, by annual household income, NI and RoI, 2023
- Parents are more likely to buy processed cheeses
- Figure 46: Consumers who have bought processed cheese (eg Dairylea, Cheestrings) in the last three months, by children in household, NI and RoI, 2023
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Cheese Uses
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- Cheese most popularly used with bread
- Figure 47: Ways that cheese has been eaten/used in the last three months, NI and RoI, 2023
- The versatility of cheese is well utilised among IoI consumers
- Figure 48: Selected consumer attitudes and behaviours towards cheese, NI and RoI, 2022
- Women tend to incorporate cheese into hot meals
- Figure 49: Consumers who have eaten/used cheese as an ingredient in a hot meal, by gender, NI and RoI, 2023
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- Figure 50: Consumer preferences for lunch temperature, by gender, NI and RoI, 2022
- Older consumers are more likely to eat cheese as a snack
- Figure 51: Consumers who have eaten/used cheese with crackers and as a snack on its own for themselves in the last three months, by age, NI and RoI, 2022
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- Figure 52: Consumers who value health benefits and natural ingredients when shopping for food and drink, by age, IoI, 2022
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Attitudes towards Cheese
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- Cheese with health benefits is appealing to consumers
- Figure 53: Consumer attitudes towards cheese, NI and RoI, 2022
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- Figure 54: Selected consumer attitudes towards natural/organic food, NI and RoI, 2021
- Younger consumers are eating more cheese alternatives
- Figure 55: Selected consumer attitudes and behaviours towards cheese alternatives, by age, NI and RoI, 2023
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- Figure 56: “Would you be interested in limited/reducing the amount of red meat or poultry you eat in the future?”, by age, NI and RoI, 2022
- Parents will switch cheese choice depending on promotions
- Figure 57: Agreement with the statement “Promotions prompt me to switch between different brands of cheese”, by children in household, NI and RoI, 2023
- Financially healthy consumers will pay more for ethically sourced cheese
- Figure 58: Agreement with the statement “I am willing to pay more for cheese sourced from animals with high welfare standards”, by financial situation, NI and RoI, 2023
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- Figure 59: “How often do you do the following?”, NI and RoI, 2022
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Consumer Behaviours towards Cheese
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- Consumers like to snack with cheese
- Figure 60: Consumer behaviours towards cheese, NI and RoI, 2023
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- Figure 61: Selected consumer attitudes and behaviours towards snacking, NI and RoI, 2022
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- Figure 62: Cheese hors d’oeuvres/canapes from foodservice restaurants, UK, 2022-23
- Younger consumers are more environmentally conscious
- Figure 63: Consumers eco-conscious attitudes and behaviours towards cheese, by age, NI and RoI, 2023
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- Figure 64: Consumers whose lifestyle is more environmentally friendly compared to a year ago, by age, NI and RoI, 2022
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Appendix – Data Sources, Abbreviations and Supporting Information
- Data Sources
- Abbreviations
- Data Sources
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