Not a day goes by where we don’t hear about the current financial climate, the effects of inflation or the reducing purchasing power of Scottish consumers. Many sectors in the food and drink industry have wrestled with these challenges, impacting retailers who have had to adapt to succeed in today’s financial landscape. In most sectors, rising costs have played a part, and consumers have changed their purchasing patterns to be more cost-effective.
But when it comes to cheese, cost doesn’t seem to have hampered consumers’ appetite as much. We observe consumers’ cheese preferences becoming more upmarket and diverse. They are willing to spend more, and more generally, the retail market profile has evolved.
It could almost be described as a "renaissanceW as the general public rediscover forgotten cheese varieties and give them new life in a retail setting. This evolution provides a world of opportunities for our producers at home as artisan and farmhouse products are experiencing increased popularity. One of the key origins of this stems from Covid-19, and the increased desire to recreate the fine dining experience at home.
Consumers began purchasing products they would normally find in restaurants. But as the pandemic becomes a distant memory, the trend remains as shoppers still have the taste for these artisan offerings. The range of cheese options on our shelves has never been so diverse, but there is still a gap for Scottish producers to do even more to capitalise o.