Reading a cheese label: terms that mean something, and ones that don’t

Artisan cheese marketing has its own vocabulary, and not all of it is meaningful. Here are the terms worth paying attention to and the ones that are mostly noise.

Means something — Raw milk: legally specific. The milk wasn’t pasteurised. Allowed if the cheese is aged 60+ days, which most farmhouse cheddars are. Raw-milk cheese carries a much more developed flavour profile because the native bacteria survive into the maturation. Worth paying for.

Means something — PDO / PGI: protected designation of origin / protected geographical indication. Legal status. Stilton has it. Cheddar (the name) doesn’t — anyone in the world can make a "cheddar". West Country Farmhouse Cheddar PDO does have it.

Means something — Vegetarian rennet: legally meaningful. The cheese was set with microbial or vegetable rennet rather than animal rennet. Important if you’re vegetarian; otherwise irrelevant.

Means something — Single-herd: the milk came from one farm. Predicts a more consistent flavour year on year because the same animals are eating the same pasture.

Means nothing — Artisan: no legal definition. Used by everyone from a one-woman dairy in Devon to industrial producers making 50 tonnes a week.

Means nothing — Hand-crafted: same. Most cheese involves hands at some point.

Means nothing — Traditional: a marketing word.

Means something, but check — Organic: legal in the UK and meaningful, but for cheese it primarily reflects what the cows ate. The flavour difference is real but smaller than between raw and pasteurised.