6 of the best Swiss cheeses

Most people know about the nutty bite of Emmental and the oozy meltiness of Raclette. But Swiss cheeses of all varieties are moving out of the niche category to become regulars on cheeseboards, and in shoppers’ baskets, across the UK.

Appetite is growing among UK consumers. According to Emmi, Switzerland’s largest milk producer and a supplier of Swiss cheeses to the British market – including its own cave-matured Kaltbach cheeses – sales of hot cheeses are up. Its Fondue and Raclette slices have both seen a 25 per cent year on year increase. 

“The UK cheese market is undergoing a significant shift as shoppers ‘premiumise’ their baskets,” says Amanda Burningham, Emmi cheese brand lead. “Moving away from mild, everyday staples, consumers are gravitating toward authenticity, craftsmanship and provenance.

“This move towards speciality varieties is fuelled by a desire for adventurous flavours and the functional benefit of naturally lactose-free options – a hallmark of traditional Alpine maturation.”

Specialist retailers like Jumi London, which makes and stocks its own Swiss cheeses, are also driving the trend, giving customers products that come with provenance, heritage and terroir.

The real story, says Amanda, lies in the ingredients segment, which has soared by more than 10 per cent, and cheese moves out of the snacking category to become what she calls a “centre-of-plate essential”.

“As UK consumers prioritise quality over volume, the combination of Swiss heritage and modern convenience is perfectly positioned to capture the next wave of category growth.”

Here are a few of the best Swiss cheeses available in the UK right now…

1. Jersey Blue

Maker: Willi Schmid

This buttery blue is a perfect choice for customers looking beyond the best-known Swiss cheeses and varieties – and makes a true hero product at the centre of a cheeseboard or charcuterie plate.

It’s crafted by master cheesemaker Willi Schmid, considered among the world’s best, in the medieval market town of Lichtensteig, using milk from Jersey cows.

Its veined texture is created by hand-ladling curds into a mould, creating pockets where the blue develops.

Creamy and yellowish in colour – thanks to the high beta-carotene content in Jersey cow milk – it has hints of smoke and black pepper. Together with its buttery richness and texture, these characteristics perfectly balance the classic blue cheese tang.

2. L’Antoine Raclette

Maker: Affineur Walo

Raclette sales have rocketed here in the past few years, with people craving hot, melted cheese at the first hint of a chill breeze. Originating in the French and Swiss Alps, it’s traditionally melted and scraped onto plates, devoured with bread, boiled potatoes

This isn’t just posh cheese on toast or a different twist in fondue, though. In Switzerland, the tradition and ritual of Raclette goes back to the 12th century, and many towns and villages have their own Raclette cheeses.

Its increasing popularity here means there’s more choice than ever, and customers are looking for something special. Enter L‘Antoine Raclette, based on a 17th century recipe – but refined to elevate it even further. 

Made in the Jura Mountains, it has delicate and surprising floral and herbaceous notes, rounded off with a honeyed finish. And, of course, it melts beautifully.

3. Kaltbach Creamy

Maker: Emmi

Kaltbach cheeses, made by Emmi, Switzerland’s largest milk producer, owe their complex flavour profiles to their extraordinary environment. The cheeses are refined and matured in the Kaltbach Cave, a sandstone labyrinth carved by a river around 22 million years ago.

This natural wonder can’t be replicated by any manmade efforts. The temperature remains constant, at 12.5°C, and the 96 per cent humidity allows cheese wheels to age for longer without drying out. The sandstone walls infuse the cheeses with dark rinds and complex minerality, similar to wine made from grapes in mineral-rich soils.

The range includes Emmental, Gruyère, and Kaltbach Creamy, a semi-soft cheese laced with extra glugs of Swiss cream. This is added to the milk before churning begins, and the cheese then spends up to five months in the cave, imbuing it with a mellow, buttery sweetness and a dark brown rind.

4. Le Gruyère AOP Réserve

Every step of Le Gruyère AOP production is specified, from how the cows that produce its milk are fed (on additive-free grass and hay) to the caves d’affinage where the cheeses are matured.

The cheeses are crafted in the 170 small dairies that fall under the Le Gruyère AOP umbrella, in the foothills of Western Switzerland. The resulting cheeses may be world famous, but they’re artisan in essence.

Matured for a minimum of 10 months – and up to 24 for the strongest cheeses – Le Gruyère AOP Réserve has a drier, almost crystalline texture, and a deeper flavour, than its younger counterparts.

Fruity, subtly aromatic notes meld with the Gruyère’s characteristic nuttiness, lending extra layers of complexity, too. 

5. Crème Chèvre

Maker: Jumi London

With a shop London and an online store, Jumi makes and sells its own top-tier Swiss cheeses, crafted with milk from the Emmental Valley.

Its founders, Juerg Wyss and Mike Glauser, were keen to bring their cheesemaking heritage – stretching back generations in both families – to a bigger market.

Their Crème Chèvre doesn’t just melt in the mouth – it melts under the coolest blade, oozing beautifully at first cut. 

It’s made with raw, silage-free goats’ milk and just a little cow’s milk, for an extra smooth and creamy texture. The makers describe it as having a nose of ‘fresh milk and copper’, with tangy notes that develop with each bite.

6. Emmentaler AOP

Maker: Gourmino

We couldn’t have a list of best Swiss cheeses without including Emmental. The mild, satisfyingly nutty classic is instantly recognisable thanks to its subtly sweet, almost hay-like flavour notes, its buttery hue and (of course) the holes shot through its texture.

Made with raw cow’s milk, Emmentaler AOP must be made to strict standards in the Emmental Valley, which includes ageing for at least four months.

There are plenty of fine examples available in the UK, but we’ve selected Gourmino, a collective of nine mountain and village dairies in Langnau, the centre of the Emmental Valley. Their focus is on a longer ripening process, up to 24 months, for deeper, more complex flavours. 

Gotthelf Emmentaler is particularly special (though only produced in small quantities). It’s handcrafted by master cheesemakers and developed with self-grown cultures produced in the mountain dairy. The only Emmental with the Slow Food label, it has more pronounced flavours of roasted cashews and browned butter.

Perhaps not for melting into a fondue pot, this is one you’ll want to savour, slice by slice.