Table of Contents
Overview
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- What you need to know
- Issues covered in this Report
Executive Summary
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- Market sizes
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- Figure 1: Estimated value of the total cheese market, NI and RoI, 2014-18
- Forecast
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- Figure 2: Estimated value of the total cheese market, NI and RoI, 2019-24
- Market factors
- NI cheese prices turbulent while RoI witnesses four-year low
- 2018 witnesses a boast in cheese exports
- Own-label cheese preferred by Irish consumers
- Opportunities exist for an ageing population
- Companies and innovations
- The consumer
- Cheddar cheese is the most popular cheese in IoI
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- Figure 3: Types of cheese bought by consumers in the last three months, NI and RoI, March 2019
- Supermarkets are the most popular retailer to buy cheese from
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- Figure 4: Locations consumers have bought cheese in the last three months, NI and RoI, March 2019
- Environmental packaging interests consumers
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- Figure 5: Consumer interest in buying cheese with specific factors, NI and RoI, March 2019
- Mounting interest in cheese from around the world
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- Figure 6: Agreement with statements related to cheese, NI and RoI, March 2019
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- Cheese sales expected to witness growth in 2019
- NI cheese prices start to rise while RoI sees four-year low
- Exports reach an all-time high in 2018
- Own-label vs branded cheese
- Opportunities exist for an ageing population
Market Sizes and Forecast
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- Cheese sales growth estimated at 1.7% in 2018
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- Figure 7: Estimated retail sales of cheese, by value, IoI, NI and RoI, 2014-24
- Cheese set for almost 7% growth in the next five years
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- Figure 8: Forecast indexed retail sales of cheese, NI and RoI, 2019-24
Market Drivers
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- Cheese prices falling in RoI while NI sees a rise
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- Figure 9: Consumer price indices of cheese and curd, RoI, January 2015-February 2019
- Figure 10: Consumer price indices of cheese and curd, UK (including NI), January 2015-February 2019
- UK and Ireland cheese exports witness record year in 2018
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- Figure 11: RoI’s top five destinations for agri-food sector exports, 2017
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- Figure 12: UK cheese exports, by EU and non-EU countries, in tonnes, 2017 and 2018
- Own-label dairy preferred in Ireland
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- Figure 13: Consumer preferences for branded or own-label dairy products, NI and RoI, September 2018
- Ageing population creates opportunities
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- Figure 14: Actual and projected population (%) for NI, by age, 2017 and 2041
- Figure 15: Actual and projected population (%) for RoI, by age, 2017 and 2046
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- Figure 16: Consumers who rated their current personal financial situation as ‘healthy’ (I have money left at the end of the month for a few luxuries or to add to my savings), by age, NI and RoI, December 2018
Companies and Brands – What You Need to Know
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- Lifestyle changes contribute to new product development
- Arla and Dale Farm looking to green energy
- Companies invest in greater snacking
- Cashel Blue and Ornua scoop awards
- Eco lifestyles continue to encourage more brands to take action
Who’s Innovating?
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- Hard and semi-hard cheese leads innovation
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- Figure 17: New product development in cheese, UK and Ireland, 2014-19
- Innovation in convenience-driven cheese format
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- Figure 18: New product development in cheese, by format/size, UK and Ireland, 2014-19
- Private-label cheese launches falter
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- Figure 19: New product development in cheese, by branded vs own-label, UK and Ireland, 2014-18
- Figure 20: New products launched in the cheese market, by company, UK and Ireland, 2014-19
- Ethical and vegan claims witnessed significant growth
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- Figure 21: New products launched in cheese, by top claims, UK and Ireland, 2014-19
Companies and Brands
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- Arla Foods
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
- Brand NPD
- Recent developments
- Carbery
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
- Brand NPD
- Recent developments
- Carrigbyrne Farmhouse Cheese
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
- Cashel Blue Farmhouse Cheesemakers
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
- Recent developments
- Dale Farm
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
- Brand NPD
- Recent developments
- Dairy Crest
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
- Brand NPD
- Recent developments
- Dairygold
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
- Fivemiletown Creamery
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
- Kerry Group
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
- Brand NPD
- Recent developments
- Glanbia
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
- Recent developments
- Mondelēz International
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
- Brand NPD
- Recent developments
- Lactalis
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
- Brand NPD
- Recent developments
- Ornua
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
- Brand NPD
- Recent developments
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- Cheddar is an Irish staple
- Cheese bought most in supermarkets
- Interest in spicy cheese and more ethical packaging
- Cheese widely accepted as being important as part of a healthy diet
Types of Cheese Bought
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- Cheddar is the top cheese bought in Ireland
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- Figure 22: Types of cheese bought by consumers in the last three months, NI and RoI, March 2019
- Cheddar well positioned to tap into convenience drivers
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- Figure 23: Consumers who have bought cheddar cheese in the last three months, by age, NI and RoI, March 2019
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- Figure 24: Top five formats of cheese bought by consumers in the last three months, NI and RoI, January 2018
- Opportunities exist for cream cheese in snacking
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- Figure 25: Consumers who have bought cream cheese (eg Philadelphia) in the last three months, by gender, NI and RoI, March 2019
- Regional cheese growing in Ireland
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- Figure 26: Consumers who have bought regional cheese (UK/Irish cheese from a specific region eg Double Gloucester) in the last three months, NI and RoI, March 2019
Locations Cheese is Bought
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- Most buy cheese at a supermarket
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- Figure 27: Locations consumers have bought cheese in the last three months, NI and RoI, March 2019
- Discounter cheese proves popular among younger consumers
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- Figure 28: Consumers who have bought cheese from a discounter (eg Lidl) in the last three months, by age, NI and RoI, March 2019
- A third buy cheese from convenience stores
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- Figure 29: Consumers who have bought cheese from a convenience store (eg Spar) in the last three months, by gender and age, NI and RoI, March 2019
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- Figure 30: Frequency of creating a dish that is a combination of prepared food and uncooked ingredients 3-4 times a week, by age, NI and RoI, March 2018
Interest in Cheese Innovations
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- Environmental packaging leads innovation
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- Figure 31: Consumer interest in buying cheese with specific factors, NI and RoI, March 2019
- Environmentally friendly packaging reflects a wider eco movement
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- Figure 32: Consumers who would be interested in buying cheese that is in environmentally friendly packaging, by social class, NI and RoI, March 2019
- Spices and fruit in cheese interest consumers
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- Figure 33: Consumer interest in trying cheese that is made with spices and/or infused with fruit (eg apricot, blackberry), NI and RoI, March 2019
- Dietary trends prompt cheese brands to innovate
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- Figure 34: Consumers interested in trying the following free-from types of cheese, NI and RoI, March 2019
Attitudes towards Cheese
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- Cheese seen as important as part of a healthy diet
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- Figure 35: Agreement with statements related to cheese, NI and RoI, March 2019
- Animal welfare important to Irish consumers
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- Figure 36: Consumer agreement with the statement ‘I am willing to pay more for cheese that has been sourced from animals with high welfare standards’, NI and RoI, March 2019
- Worldly cheese demanded as Ireland diversifies from cheddar
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- Figure 37: Consumer agreement with the statements ‘I am interested in trying new cheeses from around the world’ and ‘I would like to see more continental-style cheeses made with Irish dairy (eg Brie made with Irish milk)’, NI and RoI, March 2019
- Interest in smaller portions bodes well for snacking occasion
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- Figure 38: Consumer agreement with the statement ‘I would like to see more single-serve portions of cheese (eg 30g snack portions)’, by age, NI and RoI, March 2019
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- Figure 39: Top savoury snack food that consumers have eaten in the last two weeks, NI and RoI, June 2018
Appendix – Data Sources, Abbreviations and Supporting Information
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- Data sources
- Generational cohort definitions
- Abbreviations
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