Christina Howlett & Isobel O’Neill, Global Graduates, Bord Bia – The Irish Food Board
Salon du Fromage is a unique event which is held every second year at Porte de Versailles in Paris, as part of Salon de l'Agriculture. This event showcases the huge diversity of cheese and dairy products from around the world and is the epicentre for discovering cheese trends and the dairy products of tomorrow. It is reserved for trade professionals, therefore it is a fantastic opportunity for cheesemakers to showcase their products and meet with key players in the industry. This year marked the 16th edition of the show, taking place from 23rd – 26th February. It showcased 281 exhibitors from 14 countries, and welcomed 8,486 visitors from 56 countries. Among the exhibitors were Bord Bia, along with six Irish Farmhouse Cheesemakers: Bluebell Falls, Cahill’s, Cashel Blue, Cooleeney, Durrus and Knockanore.
Among the exhibitors, 42% were international, the highest proportion since the show first opened. Out of this percentage, fourteen countries were represented: Belgium, Bulgaria, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and the US.
Competitions
The Coup de Coeur - The Coup de Coeur is a competition which rewards outstanding products of the show, based on a number of criteria, including their originality, how they taste and their texture. There was an extremely international set of winners with seven foreign products out of the ten winners! Check out all of the results here.
The Lyre d’Or - The Lyre d’Or also takes place which is a contest of cheese platters made by professional cheese makers. The competition rewards different criteria: aesthetics, quality of the production, as well as hygiene, management of potential waste and mastery and refinement of cheese cuts. The theme of this year's Lyre D’Or was “all raw”. Check out the finalists here.
The current French landscape
So, what does the current French cheese market look like? It is estimated that an average French person buys on average 12.5kg of cheese per year, which makes them one of the most important groups of consumers in the world (Restauration Collective, 2019). In 2019, €6.53 billion was recorded as total cheese turnover in the self-service category, which is up 3.9% in value, with a 1.6% increase in volume (LSA, 2019). In comparison to this, the cheese category in Ireland is worth approximately €260 million and is growing at a rate of 5% (Euromonitor International, 2018)
Trends and takeaways
Certain trends are becoming prominent in this category which vary from specific product trends to wider movements in the industry. Based on the products showcased by exhibitors, the show’s subjects which were discussed, recent reports reviewing the current climate of this industry and in-store visits conducted by Bord Bia staff following the event, below you will find the key trends and takeaways for the cheese industry in 2020.
The Cabinet of Curiosities
2020 has been referred to as the year for atypical alliances. Producers exhibiting at the event showcased their creations based on rare alliances in an act to spark the taste buds of the most developed pallets. Examples of this present at the event included Délice au caviar, produced by Fromi (France) which is a mix between the “Délice des crémiers” cheese and a preparation made of 5% of dried caviar, blended with a mix of fresh cheese and mascarpone. A second example of these unique marriages was created by Chevennet (France) with their raw goat milk cheese which is molded by hand, and is then cut in half to be stuffed with a cream of peppers. During a store visit in Paris, WYKE’s barbequed flavoured cheddar was also for sale. This all mirrors Bord Bia’s lifestyle trend of engaging experiences. Consumers are expecting more than they did previously and this can be represented through a strong interest in culinary hybrids which are now possible with new technologies.
Snacking Size and Packaging Innovations
Cheese saw growth in current value terms in 2019, confirming the success of the diversification strategies used by manufacturers. Cheese is no longer consumed regularly after meals, as was traditionally the case in France. Instead, consumers enjoy it as an appetiser, a snack, or as a cooking ingredient. The healthy value growth of cheese was also supported by the still expanding culture of aperitifs and appetisers in France, which cheese manufacturers successfully encouraged with premium innovations.
The leading player in France, Groupe Lactalis intensified its investment in snacking, for example by offering a sliced format for Chaussée Aux Moines to rejuvenate the brand, and also by offering a selection of their current products in mini formats, packaged in string bags (Euromonitor, 2019). Health and wellness is a stable priority for a growing number of consumers in both the home market and abroad which is reflected by this preference towards reduced portion sizes. Based on Bord Bia’s consumer lifestyle trend, consumers are increasingly aware of the foods they consume and the effect it has on their body, resulting in a search for products which fits in with this more conscious diet.
Organic
Manufacturers’ strategy of embracing niches in the cheese category appears to have been successful as many explored organic by launching organic range extensions, the price of which is 30-50% higher than standard cheese. For example, Groupe Lactalis launched organic Président Emmental (block and shredded) while Fromageries Bel launched organic mini Babybel. This movement towards organic products comes at a time where consumers demand access to information about how products are produced and the supply chain used to transport them. For more information on this, Bord Bia’s responsible living trend covers current consumer expectations from the companies they engage with.
Conferences
A number of information sessions were held over the course of the event which covered some of the key topics and issues facing the industry, a list of which can be found here. As seen throughout the trends discussed about, consumers now demand natural, higher-quality cheese, and enjoy experimenting with different tastes and technologies while placing a particular value on craft cheese. Consumers are showing their preferences and suppliers and manufacturers are hearing them and responding through altered recipes and product innovations.
To read the full report on Salon du Fromage 2020, please contact Isobel.oneill@bordbia.ie or Christina.howlett@bordbia.ie
References:
- Bord Bia (2020) Consumer Lifestyle Trends. Retrieved from: www.bordbiaconsumerlifestyletrends.ie
- Faulkner F. (2019) The Future of Cheese: 2019. Mintel
- Leclerc M. (2019) Fromages: Le secteur poursuit son redressement. Retrieved from: https://www.lsa-conso.fr/le-secteur-poursuitson-redressement,331351
- 4. Mintel (2018) Products from GNPD. Monitoring New Product Trends and Innovations.
- Passport. (2019). Cheese in France. Euromonitor International.
- Passport (2018) Cheese in Ireland. Euromonitor International
- Restauration Collective Magasine (March 2020) Dossier Snacking & Développement Durable (323).
- Salon du Fromage (2020a) Trends and Cheese Novelties in 2020. Retrieved 12 March 2020, from https://en.salon-fromage.com/content/location/1342659
- Salon du Fromage (2020b) Animations. Retrieved from: http://www.salon-fromage.com