France has been synonymous with fresh cheese for centuries, with around 1,000 different varieties available across the country and many dairy brands known around the world.
Using data from Cantar’s Annual Brand Footprint* Ranking (2022), ESM investigates the five best cheese brands in France.
1. President
PRESIDENT is the third most chosen brand across France (after Herta and Fleury Michon) with a CRP value of 201, a slight decrease year-on-year. Market penetration remained unchanged (84.9), but purchase frequency was reported to have decreased slightly (8.2) compared to the previous year.
President is owned by Lactalis and was founded in 1933. Although the company is best known for his 1968-launched Camembert, it also produces a variety of other cheese brands, including Coulommier, Brie, Emmental, mozzarella, and goat cheese, to name a few.
The brand accounts for 26% of the total French Camembert market and generates annual global sales of approximately 3 billion euros. Last year, President opened a new production facility in Domfront, Normandy, capable of producing 10 camemberts per second.
2. Elle & Vire
Elle & Vire is France’s second most voted cheese brand, achieving a CRP score of 113 in the Kantar Brand Footprint Ranking (11th overall). Penetration increased from 63.9 to 64.4, but purchase frequency also decreased slightly year over year (6.1).
The cheesemaker also claims to produce the world’s most exported French cream, with its products available in more than 120 countries around the world.
3. Soignon
Soignon is known for its goat cheese and boasts a CRP value of 70, making it France’s third most popular cheese brand (29th overall). Both market penetration (53.9 to 53.2) and purchase frequency (4.9 to 4.6)
Soignon is a cooperative that collects goat milk from approximately 600 different farmers. There is also a branch in Drôme (South West France).
4. Payson Breton
Payson Breton, the fourth most popular cheese brand in France, saw a modest decline in frequency from 48 to 47 and a CRP score of 67 in the Brand Footprint rankings (32nd overall).
Payson Breton was founded in 1969 by farmers who joined forces to improve milk production and ensure the transfer of their farms to future generations. Today, his 99% of raw materials used in Payson Breton come from France.
5. Entremont
The fifth most popular cheese in France is Entremont, with a CRP value of 61 (37th overall). The brand’s prevalence increased (from 56.6 to 57.3), but its frequency decreased slightly (from 3.8 to 3.7).
His three brothers from the Entremont family established his cheese business in 1948.
In 2011, Entremont joined the SODIAAL cooperative group, France’s leading dairy cooperative.
About the methodology
Kantar Brand Footprint rankings reveal which brands win this Moment of Truth and how often they are chosen by shoppers. It refers to the decisions consumers make at the point of sale, regardless of sales. The Consumer Reach Point (CRP) for each brand is calculated by multiplying his three metrics: household population, penetration rate (percentage of households that purchase the brand), and consumer choice/frequency. CRP is a Kantar measure that ranks the best-performing brands based on how often they are chosen by consumers throughout the year. Please note that all CRP numbers shown measure millions of consumer reach points. H. A CRP of 150 means 150 million consumer reach points.
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