Table of Contents
Overview
-
- What you need to know
- Products covered in this Report
Executive Summary
-
- The market
- Market maintains a second year of value growth
-
- Figure 1: UK retail value sales of cheese, 2013-23
- Value sales are forecast to keep growing
- Cheddar sees marginal loss in share of value sales
- Continental cheese gets a boost from the ‘foodie’ trend
- Meat reduction trend presents opportunities for the cheese market
- Retailers overhauling dairy aisles sees brands lose shelf-space
- Companies and brands
- Own-label gains value and volume share
- Cathedral City maintains lead but sees volume sales fall
-
- Figure 2: Leading brands’ value sales in the UK cheese market, 2016/17 and 2017/18
- Own-label continues to dominate launches
- Tesco has been the most active company so far in 2018
- Vegan claims are on the up
- Steep decline in advertising spend
- Adspend on cheddar nose dives; continental and spreadable gain
- The consumer
- Cheese is a menu staple
-
- Figure 3: Frequency of usage of cheese, July 2018
- Cheddar retains position as the big cheese
-
- Figure 4: Types of cheese bought in the last three months, July 2018
- Supermarkets are the key channel for buying cheese
-
- Figure 5: Where cheese is bought, July 2018
- Sampling cheese is the key factor to encourage purchasing
-
- Figure 6: Factors to encourage buying a new cheese, July 2018
- Environmentally friendly packaging garners the most interest
-
- Figure 7: Interest in innovation in cheese, July 2018
- Strong support for local cheeses in supermarkets
-
- Figure 8: Attitudes towards cheese, July 2018
- Opportunity for cheese to be positioned as a meat substitute
-
- Figure 9: Further attitudes towards cheese, July 2018
- What we think
Issues and Insights
-
- Supermarkets can give a boost to local cheese producers
- The facts
- The implications
- The meat reduction trend could open up opportunities for cheese
- The facts
- The implications
- Plant-based cheese alternatives can make inroads in the market
- The facts
- The implications
The Market – What You Need to Know
-
- Market maintains a second year of value growth
- Value sales are forecast to keep growing
- Cheddar sees marginal loss in share of value sales
- Continental cheese gets a boost from the ‘foodie’ trend
- Meat reduction trend presents opportunities for the cheese market
- Retailers overhauling dairy aisles sees brands lose shelf-space
Market Size and Forecast
-
- Market maintains a second year of value growth
-
- Figure 10: UK retail value and volume sales of cheese, 2013-23
- Value sales are forecast to keep growing
-
- Figure 11: UK retail value sales of cheese, 2013-23
- Ageing population should support slow but steady volume growth
-
- Figure 12: UK retail volume sales of cheese, 2013-23
- Forecast methodology
Market Segmentation
-
- Little change in shares of sales across the cheese market
- Cheddar sees marginal loss in share of value sales
- Recipe cheese is the fastest growing segment
- Continental cheese gets a boost from the ‘foodie’ trend
-
- Figure 13: UK retail sales of cheese, by type, 2016-18
- Soft white cheese is the only cheese type to see value decline
Market Drivers
-
- Low-carbohydrate trend continues to hold back the cheese market
- New study in the media touts health benefits of cheese
- Meat reduction trend presents opportunities and challenges for the cheese market
- The rising profile of plant-based food is a threat for mainstream players
- Retailers overhauling dairy aisles sees brands lose shelf-space
- Focus on plastic packaging waste is a challenge for the market
- Household spend is subdued but the pressure is set to ease
-
- Figure 14: Annual percentage change in CPI and AWE (regular pay), monthly basis, January 2012-May 2018
- Brexit could lead to price rises and less choice in dairy
-
- Figure 15: Average retail price for cheddar cheese, Q1 2017-Q2 2018
- Extreme weather pushes up dairy prices
- The ageing population should prop up the market
-
- Figure 16: Trends in the age structure of the UK population, 2013-18 and 2018-23
Companies and Brands – What You Need to Know
-
- Own-label gains value and volume share
- Cathedral City maintains lead but sees volume sales fall
- Seriously is the star performer
- Own-label continues to dominate launches
- Tesco has been the most active company so far in 2018
- Vegan claims are on the up
- Steep decline in advertising spend
- Adspend on cheddar nose dives; continental and spreadable gain
Market Share
-
- Own-label gains value and volume share
-
- Figure 17: Leading brands in the UK cheese market, by value and volume, 2016/17 and 2017/18
- Cathedral City maintains lead but sees volume sales fall
- Mixed performances from other cheddar brands
- Dairylea and Laughing Cow sales fall
- Manufacturers of kids’ snacking cheeses see the biggest sales falls
-
- Figure 18: Leading companies in the UK cheese market, by value and volume, 2016/17 and 2017/18
Startup Company Profiles
-
- Blackwood’s Cheese Company
- Company mission
- Product
- Social media information
- Mintel consumer trends
- Why it could fail
- Mintel’s verdict
- New Roots
- Company mission
- Product
- Social media information
- Mintel consumer trends
- Why it could fail
- Mintel’s verdict
Launch Activity and Innovation
-
- Own-label continues to dominate launches
-
- Figure 19: New product launches in the UK cheese market, by own-label and brands, 2014-18
- Tesco has been the most active company so far in 2018
-
- Figure 20: New launches in the UK cheese market, by top 10 companies in 2017, 2014-18
- Figure 21: Example of Tesco’s tear and reseal cheese packaging, July 2018
- Tesco brings back tertiary brand Creamfields
-
- Figure 22: Examples of cheese products under Tesco’s Creamfields brand, July 2018
- Marks & Spencer focus on BBQ occasions and provenance
-
- Figure 23: Examples of M&S launches highlighting provenance of ingredients, June 2018-August 2018
- New Yorkshire Cheddar from Wensleydale Creamery
- Wensleydale Creamery unveils gin cheese
- Innovation continues in sliced cheese formats
- Cathedral City launches ‘The Big Slice’
- Retailers offer convenience for bagels and burgers
-
- Figure 24: Examples of sliced cheese formats, May-September 2018
- Seriously expands cheddar range with Melting Pots duo
- Dairylea adds a sweet and savoury snack combination to its line-up
-
- Figure 25: Dairylea Snackers, April 2018
- Mondelez reveals new packaging for Philadelphia brand
-
- Figure 26: Examples from Philadelphia’s rebranded range of cream cheeses, 2018
- Bel UK adds two new spreadable variants to Laughing Cow brand
-
- Figure 27: The Laughing Cow spreadable cheese variants, March 2018
- Boursin adds a Velvety cheese product to line-up
- Wyke Farms launches organic range of cheddar
-
- Figure 28: Wyke Farms organic mature cheddar, September 2018
- Vegan claims are on the up
-
- Figure 29: Share of new product launches in the UK cheese market carrying a vegan/no animal ingredient or a vegetarian claim, 2014-18
- Figure 30: Examples of vegan cheese-style products, February 2018-June 2018
Advertising and Marketing Activity
-
- Steep decline in advertising spend
-
- Figure 31: Total above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on cheese, 2014-18
- Adspend on cheddar nose dives; continental and spreadable gain
-
- Figure 32: Total above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on cheese, by product type, 2014-18
- Cathedral City sponsors ITV quiz show Britain’s Brightest Family
- Mondelēz and Bel UK are the highest spending advertisers
-
- Figure 33: Total above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on cheese, by top 10 advertisers (sorted by 2017), 2014-18
- Philadelphia campaign encourages consumers to ‘savour the moment’
-
- Figure 34: Total above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on cheese, by top 10 brands (sorted by 2017), 2017-18
- Dairylea launches summer of promotions
- The Laughing Cow launches interactive café experience
- Kerry Foods returns to TV screens
- Pilgrim’s Choice launch surreal #CheeseDreams advert
- President launches French-themed campaign
- Dairy industry’s spoof campaign ‘Scrumptious’ returns for second year
- Nielsen Ad Intel coverage
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
-
- Cheese is a menu staple
- Cheddar retains position as the big cheese
- Supermarkets are the key channel for buying cheese
- Sampling cheese is the key factor to encourage purchasing
- Environmentally friendly packaging garners the most interest
- Strong support for local cheeses in supermarkets
- Opportunity for cheese to be positioned as a meat substitute
Frequency of Eating Cheese
-
- Cheese is a menu staple
-
- Figure 35: Usage of cheese, by age, July 2018
- Four fifths of consumers eat cheese at least once a week
-
- Figure 36: Frequency of eating/using cheese, July 2018
Types of Cheese Purchased
-
- Cheddar retains position as the big cheese
-
- Figure 37: Types of cheese bought in the last three months, July 2018
- Over-55s are core regional British cheeses buyers
- Continental cheeses are bought by the affluent
- Over-55s have bought the widest repertoire of cheeses
-
- Figure 38: Repertoire of types of cheese bought in the last three months, July 2018
Where Cheese Is Bought
-
- Supermarkets are the key channel for buying cheese
-
- Figure 39: Where cheese is bought, July 2018
- Discounters and convenience stores are used most by 16-24s
- ‘Foodies’ buy cheese at specialist stores
- Two thirds of cheese buyers purchase from one channel
-
- Figure 40: Repertoire of retailers cheese is bought from, July 2018
Factors to Encourage Buying a New Cheese
-
- Four fifths of consumers could be encouraged to buy a new cheese
- Sampling cheese is the key factor to encourage purchasing
-
- Figure 41: Factors to encourage buying a new cheese, July 2018
- Recommendations play a powerful role
Interest in Innovation in Cheese
-
- Environmentally friendly packaging garners the most interest
-
- Figure 42: Example of environmentally friendly packaging, New Roots, June 2018
-
- Figure 43: Interest in innovation in cheese, July 2018
- Spices can add interest to the category
-
- Figure 44: Examples of cheese with spices, February-May 2018
- Seasonality can bring year-long variety to the cheese market
-
- Figure 45: Examples of seasonal cheeses, January 2017-June 2018
- Cheese made with plant-based ingredients can tap into vegan movement
- Unique, healthy, and environmentally friendly among plant-based cheese strengths
-
- Figure 46: Perception map of attribute performance of plant-based cheeses in comparison to dairy cheese in the UK market, April 2018-September 2018
Attitudes towards Cheese
-
- Strong support for local cheeses in supermarkets
-
- Figure 47: Attitudes towards cheese, July 2018
- Opportunity for cheese to be positioned as a meat substitute
-
- Figure 48: Examples of cheese-based meal centres, May-August 2017
- Incorporating cheese into vegetarian meat substitutes also holds appeal
- Association with digestive health could give cheese a boost
-
- Figure 49: Further attitudes towards cheese, July 2018
- A quarter would be interested in a cheese subscription service
Appendix – Data Sources, Abbreviations, and Supporting Information
-
- Abbreviations
- Consumer research methodology
Appendix – Market Size and Forecast
-
- Forecast methodology
-
- Figure 50: Best- and worst-case forecast of total UK retail value sales of cheese, 2018-23
- Figure 51: Best- and worst-case forecast of total UK retail volume sales of cheese, 2018-23
Appendix – Launch Activity and Innovation
-
-
- Figure 52: New product launches in the UK cheese market, by top 10 claims (sorted by 2017), 2014-18
- Figure 53: New launches in the UK cheese market, by launch type, 2014-18
-
- Figure 54: Share of new product launches in the UK cheese market carrying an organic certification, 2014-18
-
Appendix – Advertising and Marketing Activity
-
-
- Figure 55: Share of total above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on cheese, by top 10 advertisers (sorted by 2017), 2014-18
- Figure 56: Total above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on cheese, by media type, 2014-18
-
Appendix – The Consumer
-
-
- Figure 57: Where cheese is bought, by age, July 2018
-
- Figure 58: Attribute performance of plant-based cheeses in comparison to dairy cheese in the UK market, April 2017-September 2018
-
Back to top