Published:16 December 2011

Dairy loving Brits are set to out-fromage the French this Christmas, as homegrown cheese sales hit an all-year high in the run up to the festive season.


With households up and down the country planning to serve a cheese platter as a finale to their Christmas dinner this year and the retailer is predicting sales of more than 2,500 tonnes of cheese over the festive period – the weight of over 6,250 cows†. While all-conquering Cheddar will claim the lion’s share of the crackers  - with a whopping 1,300* tonnes - or 52 % of the supermarket’s entire 2011 sales – snapped up in the three weeks to Christmas, British produced blue and soft cheeses such as Camembert and Brie are taking on their grown-up French cousins.

More specifically, Morrisons Stilton sales have surged by 12% in 2011, with December purchases of the Christmas classic set to make up a quarter of the entire year’s sales. The retailer’s sales of UK produced Camembert increased by a massive 41% this year, while English Brie - currently growing faster than its more famous French counterpart - and English goat’s cheese, have also seen leaps of 10% and 15% respectively.

Recent statistics** show that we’re a nation of cheese lovers with 96% of Brits chomping on cheese at home and the entire cheese market has increased by 32% since 2006.

Domestic demand is encouraging UK producers to follow in the footsteps of their continental, cheese-making peers. Oxford Blue, similar in texture to Dolcelatte and Cornish and Somerset Brie, (English variations on the traditional French soft cheese) are expected to sell well as Christmas Day approaches. Morrisons reveals that 70%*** of people actively look for British produce on the shelves. According to over a third of people questioned, buying British this year is a more important choice than when food shopping five years ago.


Commenting on the nation’s expanding cheese repertoire Ed LeBer, Morrisons dairy buying manager said:  “Far from being ‘cheese bored’, British shoppers are more adventurous than ever when it comes to selecting their post prandial cheeses, and Christmas is the perfect time to experiment even more. As a nation we have a proud cheese-making heritage so it’s great to see new, home-grown varieties ensuring that this tradition goes from strength to strength.”

Morrisons top selling deli cheeses of this year are:
1. Blue mature Stilton
2. Wensleydale with Cranberry
3. Applewood smoked Cheddar
4. French Brie
5. Scottish mature coloured Cheddar


Published 16/12/2011