Global demand for specialty (craft) cheese is growing, driven by consumer demand, premium retail, foodservice, travel and fresh-format demand, DairyReporter reports. Per Mordor Intelligence, the market will be valued at $31.2 billion in 2026 and is forecast to reach $39.8 billion by 2031.
What is driving the market
Consumer demand for authenticated, craft-produced products is shaping the market. While aged products, retail channels, cow milk and block formats provide the volume base, growing interest in flavour and function is driving new opportunities — particularly in aged hard cheeses, associated with developed flavour profiles, longer maturation and premium perceptions.
Fresh cheese is forecast to grow at a 5.8% CAGR through 2031, driven by clean-label, versatile and functional preferences. Specialty cheese occupies a «unique structural position» at the intersection of clean-label simplicity and functional protein density — two of the «most durable» current trends.
Travel, fine dining and regions
Premium dining and curated travel create an on-trade demand pull that retail cannot replicate.
«Culinary tourism generates a retail halo effect: travellers returning home from cheese-producing regions actively seek those specific varieties in local specialty retail», the report said.
Fresh products, shredded formats, goat milk and on-trade channels are set to expand faster. Regionally, Europe held 39% of global value in 2025, the largest share, while Asia-Pacific is the fastest-growing region at a 6.5% CAGR (2026-2031), with China the «commercial anchor». India is expected to grow as urban consumers shift to artisanal varieties; Japan and South Korea are «mature sub-markets».
North America is a «high-consumption, innovation-active market», South America a growing opportunity with Brazil an «active consolidation zone», and the Middle East and Africa are seeing foodservice-driven growth in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
Source: DairyReporter
