Arla Foods breaks ground with new cottage cheese

UK – Arla Foods has entered the cottage cheese category with the launch of a new range, tapping into rising demand for high-protein and low-fat dairy products.

Cottage cheese is experiencing a resurgence in the UK, driven by the increased consumer interest in high-protein dairy amid trends like rising health-consciousness and GLP-1 medication usage.

Arla said it aims to broaden appeal among younger, protein-seeking consumers while driving value growth for retailers.

With one in four UK households currently buying cottage cheese according to Kantar data, Arla hopes its latest launch will help recruit new and lapsed shoppers to the category by trading up from private label through ‘taste and trusted quality’.

The range has been developed for broad, everyday usage across meals and snacks – such as on toast, in bakes and sauces, or as a high-protein topping.

It combines a light and spoonable texture with a ‘clean and creamy’ taste, Arla said, aiming to appeal to young audiences who engage with social recipe trends involving cottage cheese on platforms like TikTok.

Stuart Ibberson, Arla brand director at Arla Foods, said: “Cottage cheese is back on shoppers’ radar for good reasons – taste, versatility and protein. With Arla Cottage Cheese, we’re bringing the reassurance and reach of the Arla masterbrand to help retailers trade the fixture up, recruit younger shoppers and unlock repeat through everyday usage.”

He added: “Penetration is building, and the UK still under-indexes versus other markets and adjacent dairy protein categories, so there’s clear runway for future growth”.

The new line is available at selected UK retailers from today (5 January 2026) in Natural and Low Fat Natural varieties.

Arla Foods invests US$7.4M to expand cottage cheese production in Sweden

Recently, the company announced an investment of Skr70m (US$7.4 million) in its Falkenberg dairy plant in Sweden as the cooperative seeks to increase production of cottage cheese.

Denmark-headquartered Arla said the investment in its west coast Falkenberg site aims to boost annual output of Keso-branded cottage cheese by 1,500 tonnes. The target for this year is 27,000 tonnes, which, if realised, would represent around a 17% rise over 2024, according to a statement.

Arla clarified that the project will focus on upgrading existing equipment, including filtration and cooling, alongside improving capacity and efficiency.

The Falkenberg dairy, which mainly supplies the Swedish market but also exports to Finland, Denmark, and Spain, currently has six packaging lines, the co-op confirmed.

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