Scottish Dairy Firm Invests £3.5 Million to Meet TikTok-Fueled Cottage Cheese Demand
A Scottish dairy company has significantly increased its cottage cheese production capacity in response to unprecedented demand driven by viral social media trends. Graham's Family Dairy has completed a £3.5 million extension at its Glenfield site in Fife, which is expected to boost output by 50% and generate 25 new local employment opportunities.
TikTok Trends Trigger Record Sales Growth
According to supermarket giant Tesco, demand for cottage cheese has tripled over the past two years, primarily fueled by food influencers sharing innovative recipes on platforms like TikTok. Viral content featuring cottage cheese has garnered millions of views, with one breakfast recipe reaching 15.1 million views and another for edible cookie dough accumulating 8.7 million views.
This social media phenomenon has transformed cottage cheese from a nostalgic item associated with 1970s and 1980s diets into a contemporary culinary staple. Graham's Family Dairy has seen its cottage cheese demand double in recent years, equivalent to selling an additional two million kilograms of the product.
Industry-Wide Impact and Production Expansion
The Grocer reported that monthly cottage cheese volumes in the UK surged from approximately 900,000 kilograms at the beginning of 2023 to over 1.7 million kilograms by December 2025. Graham's managing director Robert Graham noted that the company first observed the trend around May 2023 and has since operated "literally gone into overdrive" to meet escalating consumer requirements.
"The demand has simply been staggering and our cottage cheese business is now bigger than our milk business – which is what our dairy farm was originally built around," Graham stated. "The trend has caught on around the world and as a result we're now exporting to places as far away as the Gulf States and Hong Kong."
Investment Details and Traditional Production Methods
The substantial investment will support increased production across Graham's entire cottage cheese range, including natural, low-fat, and high-protein varieties. Despite the expansion, the company remains committed to its traditional open-vat manufacturing process, which produces a firmer curd and more natural texture compared to alternative methods.
Robert Graham emphasized that "This investment means we can keep up with that demand without changing what makes our product special." He added that the development has enabled job creation and future planning for the product range, representing an exciting phase for the family-owned business.
Retail Perspective and Historical Context
Elizabeth Tomkins, Tesco's cottage cheese buyer, confirmed that the retailer is maximizing its cottage cheese orders to accommodate unprecedented demand. She explained that while TikTok often causes temporary sales spikes for specific food items, cottage cheese has evolved into a sustained culinary phenomenon benefiting the UK dairy industry.
Tomkins noted that cottage cheese initially gained popularity during the 1970s and 1980s as a low-fat filling for baked potatoes and avocados. While sales traditionally increased during summer months and post-Christmas diet periods, the current surge represents "all-time record demand" driven by younger consumers discovering the product through social media platforms.
The combination of viral content, health-conscious eating trends, and innovative recipe sharing has revitalized cottage cheese's market position, prompting significant industry investment and production expansion to meet evolving consumer preferences.
