Lake District vintage takes on brand rivals

First Milk has added a vintage variant to its Lake District Cheese Co portfolio, bringing the range into line with competitor brands.

The Lake District Cheese Co vintage Cheddar went into 100 Asda stores last week, with an rsp of £2.49 for a 200g pack.

The move will put The Lake District Cheese Co on a par with Cathedral City, Wyke Farms, Pilgrims Choice and Seriously Strong, which all have vintage variants.

The market for stronger Cheddars was worth £69.7m, up 20.8% year-on-year [Kantar Worldpanel 52w/e 25 December 2011], said Richard Hollingdale, commercial director at First Milk. “It is a natural extension of the range.”