An award-winning British company has outlined some of the key trends that will influence cheese buying choices in 2025.
Telford-based Bridge Cheese, which supplies cheese and dairy products across the food industry, says value-for-money and great quality will continue to lead the agenda over the next 12 months.
But Monica Chauhan, commercial manager at Bridge Cheese, said customer focus would also be key to success in the market, with supplier speed and flexibility a crucial ingredient.
Some of the key trends Monica expects to dominate in 2025 include:
- Protein power of cheese
The value of cheese as a high protein source will continue to be an important part of the marketplace.
Consumers have never been more health conscious, and it’s predicted many will be looking to switch from protein-fortified powders to whole food forms.
With more and more personal trainers on social media adding cheese to everything from egg baked bagels to stuffed homemade protein bread, demand is set to soar.
We expect Mozzarella, a lower fat protein-powered alternative to cheddar, to be a big player in this market.
- Add extra value – hybrid products
With many businesses now under more pressure with National Insurance and living wage increases coming through in April, customers are looking to combat this ahead of time.
But there’s more than one way to deliver great value and not compromise on taste.
The food sector is exploring innovative ways to balance cost-efficiency with quality. One emerging trend is the creation of hybrid products that blend value and premium elements. This approach aims to cater to a broader range of consumers by offering products that maintain a high standard while being more affordable.
Combining premium ingredients with cost-effective production methods or packaging can create products that appeal to both budget-conscious and quality-seeking customers alike.
Even when blending value and premium products, at Bridge Cheese taste remains paramount. Using our flexibility and responsiveness values, we can come up with bespoke blends for customers and help keep their costs down.
- Hit the fast forward button – WhatsApp for Business
Not so much a food trend as a business one – but critical to success all the same.
More customers are looking for immediate responses and we’ve implemented taking orders over WhatsApp, allowing us to give customers almost immediate answers and the flexibility to order straight from their phone.
As we move towards a more digital future, making the best use of emerging technologies has never been more important to delivering improved communication, customer service, and operational efficiency.
By using platforms such as WhatsApp, we can communicate directly with our customers, suppliers, and partners, helping to streamline order processing, address customer inquiries more quickly, and provide real-time updates on deliveries and production schedules.
It’s great for customer engagement, internal communications, marketing and feedback, and is already starting to change the way we do business.
Keeping your customer satisfied has never been more important and businesses need to be super-responsive to succeed, says Monica.
Monica said: “Now, more than ever, listening to your customer and delivering what they want when they want it is crucial.
“That’s always been how we operate at Bridge Cheese, and we think it’s the key factor in our growth from start-up to £30million turnover company since we launched in 2018.
“Of course we have a formidable range of standard, off-the-shelf products, but our USP has always been our bespoke cheese offer and our flexibility to meet all customer’s requirements. That’s one trend we can be absolutely sure will continue throughout the coming year.”
