Curd is the Word

Scotland’s largest independent dairy has seen an increase in sales of cottage cheese equivalent to
the weight of two million kilograms per year.

Graham’s Family Dairy is reporting that sales of cottage cheese are surging across the
country, with sales for the 80s fridge staple increasing by 40 per cent over the last 12
months.

Grahams and supermarket chain Marks & Spencer say the retro revival is in full swing,
partly thanks to the global demand for high protein and low fat dairy products fuelled by
recipes that have gone viral on Tik Tok – in early 2o24 views of the hashtag #cottagecheese
were set to hit a billion on TikTok alone.

Graham’s Family Dairy, Scotland’s number one dairy brand, is at production capacity for
the high-protein cheese product, with early-stage growth plans including a £5m
investment to bolster its cottage cheese production facilities to meet consumer demand.
Managing Director of Graham’s Family Dairy Robert Graham said:
“Cottage Cheese has been a family favourite for many years. It’s light, extremely versatile and a
much healthier choice due to its high protein and nutrient content. As a third-generation family
dairy, doing things in a traditional way is important to us and we believe that’s why products like
our cottage cheese have been so well received and continue to grow in popularity.
“It’s not just close to home either, exports to Ireland and Dubai are mirroring the UK trend.
Volume is up and showing no signs of slowing down showing that cottage cheese isn’t retro
anymore, it’s back and if our sales figures are anything to go by, here to stay.”

The family run business produces its cottage cheese following a traditional method, using
an open cheese vat which creates a firmer curd, giving extra structure bite and versatility,
allowing it be easily used in many different recipes.

The growth is mirroring other retro trends taking over the UK food landscape, Waitrose
revealed that a third of people had switched from a lower-fat product to a full-fat dairy
product in 2023 while M&S Cafes defaulted to full-fat milk for coffee orders.

Chris Dawson, Senior Buyer Dairy Foods at Marks & Spencer Foods said:
“In the 20 years I have been buying cheese I have never seen such amazing growth on Cottage
cheese, as I have over the past year with strong volume sales. If anything, cottage cheese as a
cheese category had been on a continuous downward spiral over many years until 2023. This
unlikely “protein hero” packed ingredient has caught us all by surprise.
Retro, great value and hugely versatile, influencers discovered the wallflower of the dairy cabinet
can be transformed into all manner of dishes, sweet and savoury – cottage cheese pancakes,
bread, cookies, ice cream and even whipped cottage cheese – a new take on last year’s whipped
feta craze. The buzz caught on with sales of cottage cheese at Marks & Spencer up in high double
digit growth year on year.”

Graham’s Family Dairy also produces a diverse selection of dairy products including
Organic and Gold Top range milk, cheese, butter, cream, yogurt, and ice cream.