Nothing ‘feta’ than cheese on Valentine’s Day

Cheese could prove to be the love language this Valentine’s Day with AHDB analysts predicting a soar in supermarket sales on Cupid’s special day.

Last year, it was cheese that melted the hearts of consumers, with an extra 1.2 million kg bought in the two weeks ending 20 February 2022 versus 2020, a more accurate like-for-like comparison as it was pre-Covid.

Cheddar led the charge, taking a quarter of the growth, followed by speciality and continental cheese at 24 per cent and British regionals making up 23 per cent of the volume growth.

And analysts at AHDB are predicting cheese will once again take a ‘gouda’ slice of retail sales, with continental meat also expected to achieve higher sales than normal in supermarkets. Last Valentine’s Day saw a 33 per cent growth in retail volumes of continental meat compared to pre-pandemic.

AHDB Senior Retail Insight Manager Kim Heath said: “Last year, we saw a boost for cheese and continental meat as supermarkets encouraged sharing and grazing boards, therefore there is a strong chance that these could both benefit from this year’s romantic celebrations.”

With Valentine’s Day falling on a Tuesday this year, analysts also predict that shoppers will target supermarkets the weekend prior – with offers such as ‘meal deals’ likely to win over consumers against the backdrop of the cost-of-living crisis.

Kim added: “We know that Valentine’s Day is a significant event for retail sales, with the second highest average plate cost, behind Christmas. And with many consumers feeling the pinch due to the current economic crisis, more celebrations are likely to take place at home, benefiting retail sales.”

Previous years saw sales boosts for more premium cuts like beef steak and ready-to-cook options on Valentine’s Day with consumers willing to treat themselves. So, experts predict there could also be a slight lift in sales of steaks.