Cheese - Ireland - April 2020
Overview
 
What you need to know
Cheese remains a staple in most Irish households, with eight in 10 consumers eating cheese at least once a week in 2020. Its diversification and versatility has enabled cheese to adapt to consumer trends, in particularly the growing interest in flexitarian diets which is seeing consumers turning to meat alternatives. While cheese is a robust industry, the impact of COVID-19 has presented supply chain challenges but also short term opportunities as more consumers are forced to cook at-home. 

Key Issues Covered in this Report
●	The impact of COVID-19 on consumer behaviour and market dynamics in the Cheese sector. 
●	Cheese is well-positioned to tap into meat reduction trends. 
●	The vegan movement shows no sign of slowing down in 2020, how can cheese brands react? 
●	Opportunities exist in snacking. 
●	The green movement sheds light on unsustainable farming. 

Issues covered in this Report
This Report examines the retail market for cheese by evaluating the main drivers and trends affecting the market and influencing consumer behaviour. 

●	For the purposes of this Report cheese includes:
●	Fresh cheese and cream cheese
●	Hard cheese and semi-hard cheese
●	Processed cheese
●	Soft cheese and semi-soft cheese.
●	Block cheese is used to describe cheese such as cheddar, Brie and blue cheeses and any other type that comes in a block format.
●	Packet cheese and cheese spreads are processed cheeses that are not classified as natural cheese, such as Dairylea Singles.
●	Speciality cheese refers to cheeses such as artisan cheese and also includes lactose-free cheese products.

While excluded from the definition of this Report, the market size includes sales of cottage cheese (which falls under the curd and quark category). Sales via catering or foodservice establishments are excluded.