Vegetarian cheese is real cheese, made from real milk, that uses a vegetarian rennet to set the curd instead of the traditional rennet taken from a calf’s stomach. It is not the same thing as vegan cheese, which contains no dairy at all. Most people are surprised to learn that some of the most famous cheeses in the world are not vegetarian, and that a great many British cheeses are. This guide explains the difference, tells you which is which, and points you at the ones we sell.
What Makes a Cheese Vegetarian?
To turn milk into cheese you need to make it set, and for that cheesemakers use rennet, an enzyme that curdles the milk. Traditional rennet is animal rennet, extracted from the stomach lining of calves, lambs or kids. Vegetarian rennet does the same job using a microbial enzyme grown from fungi, or in a few cheeses a plant extract such as thistle or nettle.
That is the only difference. The milk, the cultures, the salt, the ageing are all the same. A vegetarian Cheddar is a Cheddar. It behaves the same on a cheeseboard and it melts the same in a toastie.
Vegetarian Cheese and Vegan Cheese Are Not the Same
Worth saying plainly because the two get mixed up all the time. Vegetarian cheese is dairy cheese made without animal rennet. Vegan cheese is made from nuts, oats, soya or coconut and contains no milk. We are cheesemongers, so everything on our counter is made from milk. If you need a vegan option, look for products labelled vegan rather than vegetarian.
Which Famous Cheeses Are Not Vegetarian?
Most of the great protected European cheeses have rules that require animal rennet, so they can never be vegetarian. That includes Parmigiano-Reggiano, Grana Padano, Pecorino Romano, Gorgonzola, Comté, Gruyère, Manchego, Roquefort and Brie de Meaux. If a recipe calls for Parmesan and you are cooking for vegetarians, use a vegetarian Italian-style hard cheese instead. Our Yorkshire Pecorino, made in Leeds, is vegetarian and does the job beautifully.
Vegetarian Cheeses We Sell
British cheesemakers went over to vegetarian rennet decades ago, so the majority of the British cheese on our counter is vegetarian. Every product page on our site shows a “Vegetarian” label where it applies, and you can browse the whole lot in our vegetarian cheese collection. A few to start with:
- Hard: Black Bomber, the Welsh extra mature Cheddar that is our best seller, Dale End Cheddar from the North York Moors, Wyfe of Bath, Lancashire Bomb and Wild Garlic Yarg.
- Blue: both of our Stiltons, Colston Bassett and Cropwell Bishop, plus Sparkenhoe Shropshire Blue, Leeds Blue and Swaledale Blue. Yes, Stilton is vegetarian. It surprises everyone.
- Soft: Waterloo and Wigmore from Berkshire, Maida Vale washed in ale, and Driftwood goat’s cheese from Somerset.
- Goat’s and sheep’s: the Ribblesdale goat cheeses from the Yorkshire Dales and Murcia al Vino, the Spanish “drunken goat” washed in red wine.
- Something different: Gjetost, the caramel-coloured Norwegian brown cheese, and Torta de Barros, a Spanish cheese set with thistle rennet that is so soft you eat it with a spoon.
Cooking and Serving Vegetarian Cheese
Treat it exactly like any other cheese, because it is. Build a board with a hard, a blue and a soft from the list above, add some chutney and crackers, and nobody at the table will know or care which rennet was used. For cooking, Black Bomber makes a serious cheese sauce, Ogleshield-style melters are not vegetarian but Lancashire Bomb is and melts just as well, and Yorkshire Pecorino covers your grating needs.
A word on nutrition, since people ask: cheese is a good source of protein and calcium and it is also high in fat and salt. Vegetarian rennet changes none of that. Enjoy it in sensible amounts, with good bread and something green.
Vegetarian Cheese FAQs
Is vegetarian cheese suitable for vegans?
No. It is made from milk. Vegans need a cheese labelled vegan, which will be made from plants.
Does vegetarian cheese taste different?
Not in a way you would notice. Some cheesemakers argue animal rennet gives a very long-aged cheese a little extra depth, which is one reason the Italian and French classics stick with it. Side by side on a board, nobody picks it out.
Does it melt the same?
Yes. Melting depends on the style of cheese, its age and its fat content, not on the rennet. Ask any of the team which cheese to put in a toastie and you will get a strong opinion.
How do I know if a cheese is vegetarian?
Look for “vegetarian rennet” or “suitable for vegetarians” on the label, or the Vegetarian tag on our product pages. If it is a protected European name like Parmigiano or Gruyère, assume it is not. If in doubt, ask us.
Can I make vegetarian cheese at home?
A simple fresh cheese, yes. Warm milk, a squeeze of lemon juice, drain through muslin and you have something close to a paneer or a ricotta. For anything aged, leave it to the professionals and come and see us.
Browse the full vegetarian cheese collection, or if you are putting a gift together, our cheese hampers can be built vegetarian on request. Just add a note at checkout.
