Emma Young, celebrated as “The Cheese Explorer” and regarded as one of Britain’s foremost authorities on artisan cheese, forecasts that melting cheeses will be one of the key food trends this autumn.
She anticipates that comforting favourites such as fondue, raclette and other molten cheese dishes will become the stars of home cooking this season – driven by a surge in cooking at home, a yearning for nostalgic comfort foods, and the viral popularity of stretchy, gooey cheese-pull videos on social media, with #fondue already appearing in more than 1.1 million Instagram posts.
“With 71% of UK meals now eaten at home and almost half of Britons cooking from scratch every day or most days, people are looking for food that’s rustic, sociable and interactive,” said Emma Young.
“Melting cheese nights are indulgent and surprisingly easy to host – perfect for dinner parties, gatherings with friends, or just a cosy night in. And with those molten cheese moments all over TikTok and Instagram, it’s no wonder people want to recreate them at home.”
According to a leading UK supermarket, sales of baking cheeses – covering varieties ideal for fondue, gratins and other molten dishes – have climbed by almost 500%, making them the fastest-growing cheese segment in Britain since the 1970s.
- Camembert – Easy, accessible, and a molten classic for baking.
- Emmental – The ultimate “cheese-pull” for fondues and toasties.
- Cantal – Ideal for a generous mash of potatoes whipped with melted cheese, Aligot style; also brilliant in toasties or fondue mixes.
- Tomme de Savoie – Rustic and earthy; great on gratins or in a raclette mix.
- Bleu des Causses – A blue cheese with character, ideal for melting in sauces or in a toastie.
