As General Charles de Gaulle once famously said of his homeland, “How can anyone govern a country with 246 varieties of cheese?”
France has been synonymous with fromage for centuries – close to a thousand different types are available across the country – as well as boasting an array of dairy brands that are known all over the world.
Using data from Kantar’s annual Brand Footprint* rankings (for 2022), ESM examines the top five cheese brands in France.
1. Président
Président ranks as France’s third most-chosen brand overall (behind only Herta and Fleury Michon), with a CRP score of 201 – a slight decline, year on year. Penetration was unchanged (84.9), however, the brand reported a marginal decrease in purchase frequency (to 8.2), year on year.
Owned by Lactalis, Président was founded in 1933. It is most famous for its Camembert, which it launched on the market in 1968, but it also produces a wide variety of other cheese types, including Coulommiers, Brie, Emmental, mozzarella and goat’s cheese, to name but a few.
The brand accounts for 26% of the overall Camembert market in France and generates sales of approximately €3 billion per year on a global basis. Last year, Président opened a new production facility in Domfront, Normandy, which is capable of producing ten Camemberts per second.
2. Elle & Vire
Elle & Vire is France’s second most-chosen cheese brand, earning a CRP score of 113 in the Kantar Brand Footprint rankings (putting it 11th overall). It saw penetration increase from 63.9 to 64.4, however, it also recorded a slight drop in purchase frequency (to 6.1), year on year.
The cheesemaker also claims to make the most-exported French cream in the world, with its products available in more than 120 countries.
3. Soignon
Renowned for its goat cheese, Soignon is France’s third most popular cheese brand, with a CRP score of 70 (29th in the overall rankings). Both its penetration (53.9 to 53.2) and its frequency of purchase (4.9 to 4.6) decreased, year on year.
Soignon is a cooperative and collects goat milk from about 600 different farmers.
Its farms are mainly located in north-western France (Poitou-Charentes, Centre, Pays de la Loire and Brittany), while it also has operations in Drôme (south-western France).
4. Paysan Breton
Paysan Breton, France’s fourth most-chosen cheese brand, achieved a CRP score of 67 in the Brand Footprint rankings (32nd overall) and experienced a slight drop in frequency, from 48 to 47.
Paysan Breton was founded in 1969 by farmers who came together to improve their dairy production and ensure the transfer of their farms to subsequent generations. Currently, 99% of the ingredients used by Paysan Breton are of French origin.
5. Entremont
France’s fifth most popular cheese is Entremont, which boasts a CRP score of 61 (putting it in 37th position overall). The brand saw an increase in penetration (from 56.6 to 57.3), while frequency was down marginally (from 3.8 to 3.7).
Three brothers from the Entremont family started the cheese business in 1948.
In 2011, Entremont joined the SODIAAL cooperative group, a leading French dairy cooperative.
*About The Methodology
The Kantar Brand Footprint rankings reveal the brands that are winning at the ‘moment of truth’, indicating the number of times that they are chosen by shoppers. Independent of revenue, it reveals the decisions that consumers are making at the point of sale. The consumer reach points (CRPs) of each brand are calculated by multiplying three metrics: household population, penetration (percentage of households buying a brand), and consumer choice/frequency. CRPs are Kantar’s measure of ranking the most successful brands by the number of times that they are chosen by consumers throughout the year. Note that all CRP figures shown measure millions of consumer reach points, i.e. a CRP of 150 indicates 150 million consumer reach points.
Discover the ten most popular food brands in France here.
