An OpinionWay survey, carried out for the President brand on the image and current uses of Camembert, shows that it remains as popular as ever with the French – particularly with young people –, who consider it to be the most emblematic cheese of France.
If Camembert is today the third favorite cheese of the French (28 %), behind the goat (31 %) and the county (33 %), it remains the most emblematic cheese of France for seven out of ten French people. His notoriety remains as great as ever. So, for 93% of people surveyed by OpinionWay, Camembert is to the French what mozzarella is to the Italians, that is to say a heritage symbol. Camembert still occupies a privileged place in the hearts of the French : 28% of them declare themselves “fans” of Camembert, while 15% declare themselves “fans” of a cheese as trendy and popular as mozzarella.
A timeless cheese
Camembert enjoys a very positive image in the minds of the French. For them, Camembert is a “timeless” cheese, " popular ", “local”, “for young and old alike” and “for all budgets”. Including among young people. Camembert also has a very good image among 18-34 year olds. For them too, Camembert is “timeless” and offers all the aforementioned qualities. The percentages of positive reviews are barely lower than those of previous generations. Camembert transcends generations.
Between immutable rituals and new trends
Camembert is the subject of a real purchasing ritual. It’s a cheese that we choose with care : 85% of Camembert consumers taste it before buying it (of which 43% do it with an expert hand) ; 66% sniff it before buying it (of which 30% systematically). Camembert consumers prefer it creamy and soft (58 %), as well as tasty but not too much (47 %). When we talk about recipes made with Camembert, the French mention many different recipes. It has a real plurality of uses. The main ones are sandwiches (67 %) and the toast, hot or cold (57 %). Hot, it is also eaten in the oven (31 %), in a pie or quiche (27 %), on a pizza (23 %). The French are thus reappropriating Camembert for hot use. We observe this basic trend among all French people, and particularly among young people aged 18 to 34, who are even more numerous to consume Camembert in a hot version at the heart of a meal or even as an aperitif.
Camembert speaks to the senses and memory
For the French people, Camembert is associated with a gourmet sensory experience. But in their minds, Camembert is also associated with an emotional experience : three quarters of them say that this cheese reminds them of their childhood, it’s a Proust madeleine! 93% of them think that Camembert should even be included in the UNESCO World Heritage list..
A CHEESE HEAVYWEIGHT
Camembert constitutes the fourth family in the cheese aisle in traffic, after those of the grated, portions and mozzarella. 66% of French households buy Camembert, at least eight times a year*. After a decade of steady decline, it makes a strong comeback in 2023 with an increase of 3,8% of sales** : 43,000 tonnes of Camembert were consumed last year, consolidating its place as the leading family of soft cheeses in volume and value.
AN OPINIONWAY SURVEY FOR PRESIDENT
This study was carried out on a sample of 1005 people, aged 18 and over, representative of the French population. The sample was constituted using the quota method, with regard to gender criteria, age, socio-professional category, category of urban area and region of residence. The interviews were carried out by online questionnaire from October 2 to 10, 2023.
