In this report, Susie Stannard, Senior Consumer Insight Analyst, looks at millennial attitudes to cheese.

1. Millennials and cheese
Susie Stannard, Senior Consumer Insight Analyst, AHDB
May 2018
AHDB Consumer Insight Snapshot

2. • Source: 2CV/AHDB’s Young Consumers research Feb 2018
Cheese is a much-loved food in the UK; 90% of households buy it
and it is seen as a good source of important nutrients
“Which of the following do you most associate with cheese?”
Source: AHDB/Mintel/Lightspeed Oct 2017
“Losing cheese
would be
DEVASTATING!”
Male, 28,
White British,
C2DE
“For me to cut
down my dairy
they must
invent a
decent variety
of dairy-free
cheeses that
actually taste
as good as
the real thing.”
Male, 20,
White British,
ABC1

3. • Source: Kantar Usage
Most of the dairy category doing well in value terms,
but cheese the only one growing in number of usage
occasions
Total cheese
occasions up
4% vs 5 years
ago

4. 4
Cheese used as an
ingredient in meals has
featured at 5% more
occasions than last year
Italian food, Vegetarian dishes, Baked potato meals,
Mexican food, Salads, all featuring more cheese.
(Sandwiches also up!)
• Kantar Worldpanel Usage | Cheese used as ingredient | 52 w/e 28 Jan 2018
Whilst the rest of dairy has
been under some pressure,
cheese bucks the trend…

5. 5
Jan 18
Feb 14
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
Easy to prepare or
clear up
Filling
Enjoy the taste
More natural/less
processed
To get portion of fruit
or veg
Health benefits
(fibre/vitamins)
Servings %
Fastest-growing needs – total food
Cheese is fulfilling the needs that we are increasingly looking for within our
general food choices
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
Filling
Complements rest of
meal
Enjoy the taste
More natural/less
processed
Health benefits
(fibre/vitamins)
Servings %
Fastest-growing needs – Cheese
Kantar Worldpanel Usage | Cheese needs vs total food | 52 w/e 28 Jan 2018

6. 1.9
3.9
0.6
0.6
4.4
4.3
4.3
-0.9
3.6
-0.8
-2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5
6
Aged 65+
Aged 55–64
Aged 45–54
Aged 35–44
Aged 25–34
Aged 16–24
Aged 10–15
Aged 5–9
Aged 4 and
under
Total
Individual Age
%
Growth
Individual Meal Occasions
(millions)
Kantar Worldpanel Usage | Cheese consumption by age group | 52 w/e 28Jan 2018
Cheese has grown in popularity across most age groups, but
particularly younger adults
We are eating cheese
more at our core meals…
but not snacking on it
In-home lunches +1%
Carried-out lunches +2%
Teatime +4%
Evening Meal +4%
Snacking -4%

7. 7
Milk
81 (-2%)
BSM
90 (-7%)
Cheese
108 (+4%)
Yoghurts
82 (+1%)
Cream
78 (-5%)
What dairy categories are millennials having?
Total Dairy
88 (-2%)
Kantar Worldpanel Usage | Dairy consumption by 16–34yrs | 52 w/e 28 Jan 2018
Index vs total consumers
While, generally,
millennials tend
to eat less dairy
than most
consumers, they
eat MUCH more
cheese – and this
is growing over
time

8. Key opportunities for millennials are in Italian foods, pizza and
Mexican food
Sandwiches 93
Italian Food 136
Pizza 135
Indian Food 147
Roast Dinners 105
Pies/Pasties/Puds & Sav Pastries 96
Oriental Food (incl. Thai) 113
Vegetarian Dishes 142
Mexican Food 143
Toast Meals 82
Salad 75
Wet Fish & Shellfish 82
Top meal choices: Total food
Index millennials vs total consumers
Kantar Worldpanel Usage | Need states and top dishes for 16–34yrs | Total Food | 52 w/e 28 Jan 2018

9. 9
Millennials are far more likely to eat cheese as an ingredient
MealOccasions%
32.2 30
13 11.9
10.1
10.3
10.1
4.8
20.6
27.6
24.5 26
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
MillennialsTotal
Individuals
In a sandwich
On or with toast
Cheese on toast
On a cracker
As an ingredient
Other snacking
use
Other
On its own 20% of all cheese occasions had by
millennials feature in/with Italian Food
(146 vs total consumers)
Lasagne (163), Spaghetti bolognaise (129),
Pasta bake (144)
Other key foods that millennials are more likely
to eat cheese with include:
Baked potato (116), Mexican food (171),
Vegetarian dishes (168)
Kantar Worldpanel Usage | Cheese usage for 16–34yrs and top dishes | 52 w/e 28 Jan 2018

10. 10
Millennials
Total Consumers
Meal Occasions %
Millennials are generally adding more cheese to their top
dishes rather than simply favouring dishes which feature more
cheese
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
66.5 67.3
9.6 11.9
20.2 16.8
7.9 8.4
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
MillennialsTotal
Individuals
Blocks
Grated
Other
Sliced
MealOccasions%
Kantar Worldpanel Usage | Cheese usage for 16–34yrs and top dishes | 52 w/e 28 Jan 2018

11. Summary: Cheese and millennials
Millennials love
cheese
• Widely cited as the part of
dairy they’d be least likely
to give up
• Alternatives not seen as
viable for most
• They add it to many of
their meals
Opportunities
• Italian meals and pizza are key
for dairy consumption
• Indian food is very popular
amongst this group –
opportunities in both scratch
cooking and prepared foods for
yoghurt, butter (via ghee) and
paneer, which would be
particularly appealing to the
vegetarian sector
• Adult snacking occasions are
currently less exploited for
dairy – NPD in this area,
particularly around functional
and health benefits of cheese
(high protein, satiety, healthy
fats), may prove fruitful
Fulfilling multiple
need states
• Taps into the currently most
sought-after attributes for
food:
• Enjoyable
• Less processed
• Filling
• Contains necessary
vitamins/minerals
• The artisan nature of many
cheeses appeals to millennials
in that they can be curated and
Instagrammed, much like craft
beer

12. www.ahdb.org.uk/consumerinsight
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13. Version: 16:9/2017-11-30a
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