Cheese consumption is near-universal. Despite being a staple, it’s overwhelmingly viewed as a flavour enhancer for meals, not a standalone star. This utilitarian perception means price and flavour are the top purchasing drivers, with health claims playing a supportive, secondary role. Consequently, there’s a clear need to elevate cheese beyond its functional role, transforming everyday cheese moments into intentional indulgences.
In-store first marketing efforts, linked with digital activations for inspiration and home-cooking ideas, will be crucial for winning over consumers, as mainstream grocery stores serve as primary purchasing and educational touchpoints. In the current economic climate, clear messaging around value and Canadian origin is also vital, though marketers must remain mindful that price consistency is paramount due to ongoing uncertainty.
Attention towards plant-based cheese is notably gaining traction, particularly among younger generations and Millennial fathers. While older consumers remain loyal to traditional formats, the growing environmental concerns driving younger generations towards plant-based options signal a crucial market shift that demands proactive engagement and innovation from the industry.
This report looks at the following areas:
- Types of cheese eaten
- Cheese usage patterns and preferences for formats and flavours
- Cheese purchase drivers and health claims
- Consumer touchpoints: where consumers discover and purchase cheese
- Attitudes towards cheese’s impact on taste and nutrition
- Attitudes towards Canadian dairy
- Spotlights on cottage cheese and plant-based cheese
- Cheese innovation, marketing strategies and opportunities
Though cheese consumption is nearly universal, it is seen more as a flavour booster. Price, taste, and value dominate, highlighting a need to elevate cheese moments.
Joel Gregoire, Associate Director of Food & Drink Reports
Market Definitions
For the purposes of this Report, Mintel asked Canadian adults about cheese purchase and consumption behaviours.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- What you need to know
- Market predictions
- Opportunities
- What consumers want & why
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THE MARKET
- Market context
- Oh Canada! Consumers prioritize “buy local” amidst US tariff tensions
- Environmental concerns drive younger Canadians to plant-based cheese
- At-home snacking is on the rise, creating opportunities for Canadians to say, “cheese, please” more often
- Market drivers
- Grocery inflation drives a value-first mindset
- Graph 1: Consumer Sentiment Index, 2020-25
- Graph 2: Consumer Price Index, monthly, seasonally adjusted, 2020-25
- Newcomers mean openings for new flavours and formats, opportunities are ripe for cheese in a changing Canada
- Graph 3: top places of birth of recent immigrants, 2021
- Sustainability is shaping food choices for younger generations, including dairy consumption
- Graph 4: actions consumers think help the environment the most (top 3), by generation, 2024
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CONSUMER INSIGHTS
- Consumer fast facts
- Types of cheese eaten
- Cheese consumption is near universal, but it’s a side character rather than the star
- Natural dairy cheese drives consumption and sits at the intersection of trust, health, and taste
- Graph 5: types of cheese eaten, 2025
- Women continue to be especially important to the success of cheese companies, consider emphasizing elevated stackable moments
- Women eat a wider variety of cheese
- Graph 6: repertoire analysis of types of cheese eaten in the past three months, 2025
- Graph 7: types of cheese eaten in the past three months, 2025
- Elevate snacking moments by tapping into the art of the pause: take inspiration from Little Moons’ approach
- For those aged 55+, it really is better with cheddar
- Graph 8: types of cheese eaten, cheddar, by age, 2025
- Usage patterns and preferences for formats and flavours
- Ease of use and culinary versatility are value anchors as cheese is a good partner rather than the star
- Graph 9: cheese usage and consumption occasions, 2025
- Occasions drive format preference, consider format varieties that meet consumers where they’re at
- Graph 10: formats of cheese eaten in the past three months, 2025
- Simplicity is tops when it comes to flavours, consider adding a little adventure with herb varieties and outside categories
- Graph 11: flavours that appeal, 2025
- Consider how cheese can create opportunities for connecting for moms, showcase ways to build a bridge between nourishment and quality time
- Moms are more likely using cheese in meals and prefer grated/shredded than dads
- Graph 12: formats of cheese eaten in the past three months, grated/shredded, moms with under-18s at home vs dads, 2025
- Graph 13: cheese usage and consumption occasions, moms with under-18s at home vs dads, 2025
- Bundled ingredients could be a good way to turn meal prep into a bonding activity
- Elevate the experience of everyday snacking by making it an intentional indulgence to appeal to women
- For women, snacking is an important occasion – one that’s ripe for incorporating herb flavours in whole or block forms to regular routines.
- Consider creating curated snacking moments through strategic cheese pairings
- Purchase drivers: purchase factors and health claims
- Taste appeal and competitive pricing are foundational, calling out value aspects of freshness, format, and local sourcing is necessary
- Graph 14: repertoire analysis of factors considered when choosing which cheese to purchase, 2025
- Graph 15: factors considered when choosing which cheese to purchase, 2025
- Nutrition and health claims are secondary but can still be meaningful differentiators
- Graph 16: health-related claims considered when choosing which cheese to purchase, 2025
- Curators of cheese tastes, engage higher-income cheese consumers through elevated experiences
- Higher-income consumers are more likely to consider flavour and are drawn to more complex flavour profiles
- Graph 17: factors considered when choosing which cheese to purchase, by affluence, 2025
- Graph 18: flavours that appeal, by affluence, 2025
- Cowgirl Creamery turns cheese into an event by inviting people to experience their artisanal Wagon Wheel in a melty, “Raclette-style” showdown
- Consumer touchpoints: where consumers discover and purchase cheese
- Grocery stores are the most consistent and accessible touchpoint for cheese buyers
- Graph 19: purchase locations, 2025
- Smart in-store strategies are key to boosting cheese consumption
- Learning about cheese happens in-store and online, highlighting a need for a unified discovery-to-purchase journey
- Graph 20: sources of information on cheese, 2025
- Meet Millennial men where they’re at: they’re hungry for content and experiences that build cooking (with cheese) skills
- Graph 21: sources of information on cheese (any agree), Men 25-34 vs M35-44 vs overall, 2025
- Shine the spotlight on cheese by making it a centre co-star in dishes to grow confidence in cheese-curious cooks
- Cheese it up for dads at the deli counter
- The deli counter at grocery stores is a crucial touchpoint for dads when it comes to buying cheese
- Graph 22: buy cheese at the deli counter in grocery stores, fathers with under-18s vs overall, 2025
- Graph 23: sources of information on cheese (any agree), fathers with under-18s at home vs overall, 2025
- Attitudes towards cheese’s impact on taste and nutrition
- Taste, nutrition, and simplicity: loving cheese is not a stretch
- Graph 24: attitudes towards cheese’s impact on taste and nutrition, 2025
- Cheese is a staple, though in more of a supporting role than the star
- From bland to grand: highlight cheese’s ability to make a flavourful transformation
- Unlock the qualitative powers of cheese: comfort, nostalgia, and connection
- Take inspiration from Colombia’s dairy company Alpina to lean into the sentiment of true connection
- Showcase how healthy eating can be simple with cheese
- Position cheese as a simple comfort in complex times
- Over-55s are strong allies in the push for cheese-forward cooking, room to engage younger consumers
- Graph 25: attitudes towards cheese’s impact on taste and nutrition, by age, 2025
- Attitudes towards Canadian dairy: “Made in Canada”
- Position Canadian cheese as the ‘better choice’ rather than the luxury choice
- Graph 26: attitudes towards Canadian dairy, 2025
- Position Canadian Cheese as the better everyday choice
- Celebrate the trust consumers hold in Canadian dairy: in-store storytelling activations
- Celebrate the trust consumers hold in Canadian dairy: on social media platforms via blind taste test challenges and user-generated content
- Celebrate the trust consumers hold in Canadian dairy: partnerships with tourism boards, farmers’ markets, and food festivals
- Over-55s are more engaged with Canadian Dairy, show them you see and value them through value-adds catered to them
- Older Canadians are more inclined to trust the quality of dairy produced in Canada, though they aren’t more willing to pay more for it
- Graph 27: attitudes towards Canadian dairy, by age, 2025
- Spotlight on cottage cheese
- Cottage cheese holds untapped potential, awaits a modern revival
- Cottage cheese has room to grow with attitudes outpacing usage
- Graph 28: attitudes towards cottage cheese, 2025
- Graph 29: types of cheese eaten, 2025
- Sipping on success: cottage cheese can take inspiration from Skyr
- Women aged 45–54 are an ideal audience for cottage cheese revitalization, lean into their lifestage considerations
- Spotlight on plant-based cheese
- Plant-based cheese consumption is still niche, though there’s momentum
- Graph 30: types of cheese eaten in the past three months, 2025
- Graph 31: change in consumption, 2025
- Plant-based cheese consumption is still niche, though there’s momentum
- Fathers represent an opportunity to inspire a family-friendly shift toward plant-based cheese, connect and engage on social media
- Encouraging fathers to make the family-friendly shift to plant-based cheese will yield gains: at the deli-counter in grocery stores
- Dads are buying cheese at deli counter and seek information about incorporating cheese in-stores and online
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COMPETITIVE STRATEGIES
- Launch activity and innovation
- A cultured revolution: plant-based innovations are on the rise
- Growing the gateway to premium cheeses: smaller sizes are making premium cheese more approachable
- Marketing and advertising
- Proudly Canadian: build trust through local cheese and shared values
- Lean into broader cultural aspects to elicit Canadiana feels: take inspiration from Kruger Products
- Back an established cheese consumer by rethinking age, one bite at a time
- Consider messaging and visual cues to support senior vitality as Boost does with the “get better with age” message
- Beck’s 70+ puts seniors first
- From outdated to empowered: rebranding cheese to win over women aged 45-54 , taking inspiration from Oikos
- Opportunities
- Make cheese the main event with seasonal cheese that steals the spotlight
- Lean into the decadence of cheese for Christmas indulgence
- Valentine’s Day plus a mini cheeseboard could be a perfect pairing
- Grate expectations: consider ways to take cheese beyond traditional recipes and occasions
- Cheese desserts offer an opportunity for a sweet new occasion
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APPENDIX
- Market definition
- Consumer research methodology
- Consumer research questions
- Generations
- Abbreviations and terms
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