Asda wins Retailer of the Year at the Global Cheese Awards 2016

Judges at The Global Cheese Awards - an industry recognised stamp of approval which took place in September 2016 – showed their love for

the seasonally popular cheeses. Asda Blue Stilton and Extra Special St Endellion Cornish Brie both scooped Gold at the awards.

Asda won the most awards in show at this year’s cheese awards with a total of 26 accolades awarded by industry experts. Additional nods included Asda Extra Special St Endellion Cornish Brie (Gold) and Asda Scottish Mild Cheddar (Gold).

Cheese is purchased every single week by 9 in 10 Brits, but it seems Brits aren’t as habitual as we think when it comes to what varieties they pick up. According to sales data from Asda, the weather and time of year have a huge impact on the cheese we eat, with smellier cheeses pretty much going into hibernation over the Summer months.

What’s seen as a cheeseboard staple, blue cheese saw a 110% increase in sales in September, as a third of people ditched summery puddings for comforting cheese and crackers.

Stilton’s not the only one to make an Autumnal comeback; cheeses including camembert and brie also see a peak in sales during Autumn. Camembert, a cheese best served warm with chunky bits of bread, saw a 92% increase as the dark nights and chilly mornings started to draw in.

Cheryl Donald, cheese maker at Arla Foods who looks after the production of St Endellion Cornish Brie, said; “We always up weight our brie production in the Autumn and Winter seasons as customers tastes tend to change quite significantly as we enter the party season. It starts from September when the weather cools down and purchases of cheeses, particularly artisan cheese such as ours, are type of products which customers want to put on their cheeseboard. Christmas is by far our busiest time of year for brie, where we double the amount of cheese which is made in the cheese factory.”

However, what might be popular for one season is positively out of fashion for another. As soon as the Summer sun appears, it’s all about the more Mediterranean cheeses with much lighter flavours and smells. Halloumi sees an increase of 33%, sales of Greek feta rise by 27% and mozzarella increases by 8% between June and August.

A spokesperson for Asda said: “It’s interesting to see the nation’s love affair with cheese grow and the trends that emerge throughout the year. We know Autumn has arrived when stilton sales soar, and that the sun is shining when feta is flying off the shelves. It seems there really is a cheese for all seasons.”

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The full list of awards is below:

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