The taste of

900 Years In The Making

To really know Le Gruyère AOP requires a quick history lesson. Records show that the cheese was made around the small town of Gruyères in the Canton of Fribourg in 115. Medieval chronicles reference the expertise of the local cheesemakers, who turned milk into a full-fat cheese that was even exported to France and Italy. The cross-border popularity of the cheese continued into the 17th century, when the name Gruyère was first recognised officially in 1602 as exports boomed. As people emigrated from the Fribourg to other parts of Switzerland and the cheese became more popular, the geographical production zone spread to the cantons

DID YOU KNOW?

of Vaud, Neuchâtel and Jura, as well as to neighbouring France. The cheese was increasingly imitated in other areas and a campaign to gain protection for the name Gruyère began to build momentum in the 19th century. Negotiations were held in Madrid (1891) and Paris (1926) to get legal recognition, before a meeting in Rome in 1930 led to the signing of a first agreement to protect the denominations of goods and their origin. However, it was only in 2001 that Gruyère cheese was granted Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) at a national level and then full AOP status for all of Europe in 2011.

Welcome To The World Of Le Gruy Re Aop

If you ever get the opportunity to visit Switzerland to see Le Gruyère AOP being made, then you should jump at the chance. By spending time at the small farms, village dairies and specialist affineurs that devote their lives to the cheese it soon becomes clear what makes it so special.

Le Gruyère AOP is a global brand, but this is only possible through the solidarity and hard work of thousands of small businesses in the Swiss mountains that come together to create something that is bigger than the sum of their parts.

This supplement aims to tell the story of this collective spirit, which is rooted in the landscape, history and culture of Switzerland, and is expressed in cheeses that are full of flavour.

Britain’s delis, farm shops, food halls and cheese shops will undoubtedly know and love Le Gruyère AOP, but there’s always more to learn. From the strict rules that govern its production and the various styles to how to taste the cheese professionally and what to pair it with, we aim to give you the full picture.

There are only around 50 chalets spread around the mountains of Fribourg, Vaud and Bernese Jura that make Le Gruyère d’Alpage AOP