Cheese import volume in the United Kingdom (UK) 2003-2022

In 2022, cheese imports into the United Kingdom amounted to 411 thousand metric tons. Since 2003, imports have generally been growing with some slight fluctuation. During 2021, imports of cheese were worth approximately 1.8 billion British pounds.

The UK cheese trade

Cheese exports show a similar trend with an increase of 86 tons seen between 2003 to 2022. As of 2015, the biggest share of exported cheese goes to the Republic of Ireland. Other leading export destinations are the UK's continental neighbors.

Cheese production in the UK

Since 2009, the production output of cheese in the United Kingdom has seen an almost annual increase. Before the upswing of the previous years, production had stagnated for roughly a dozen years just below 400 thousand tons of cheese. The most commonly consumed cheese in the UK is cheddar cheese. In 2021, 360 thousand tons of cheddar cheese were produced in the UK.