Cheddar purchases drop

Purchase of traditional British cheese is crumbling, with UK consumers buying cheddar dropping from 87% in 2014 to 82%, according to research from Mintel.

Sales have also fallen, with the cheddar market declining 3% over the past two years, from 187 million kg in 2013 to an estimated 181 million kg in 2015. Despite this, cheddar remains the nation’s most widely bought type of cheese and is estimated to make up 48% of UK cheese value sales in 2015, down from 51% in 2013.

Richard Ford, senior food analyst at Mintel, says, “Cheddar, as the nations’ go-to cheese, is the most exposed to changes in wider consumer trends such as shifts in usage of carrier products like bread. What’s more, cheddar’s popularity as by far the most widely bought cheese in UK retail also looks like its downfall, as most consumers fail to see it as good for special occasions. This could hamper cheddar’s ability to capitalise on Brits’ increased spending power as real incomes grow in 2015.

“On the whole, the cheese category is expected to see only slight growth in 2015, largely due to the largest segment – cheddar’s lacklustre performance. In contrast, strong sales from recipe and territorial cheeses suggest consumers may be seeking greater variety in their cheese purchases.

“There is a marked openness among consumers for using cheese in unusual ways. That suggestion of lesser known pairings would be widely welcomed, points to scope for operators to build additional usage occasions for cheese.”

While sales of cheddar have been dwindling, as a result the overall cheese market in the UK has seen growth slow. Mintel’s research shows that cheese sales are estimated to have risen by just 0.5% in the past year to reach £2.59 (€3.68) billion in 2015.