What's the difference between vegetarian and non-vegetarian cheese?Updated 2 years ago

The key to this one is the rennet, an enzyme typically found in calf stomachs. It’s what’s used in cheesemaking to thicken the milk into curds. Drain off the watery stuff, add some salt and (w)hey presto, you’ve got cheese. Well, sort of...there’s a lot more to it but we won’t get into that now.

Vegetarian cheese uses plant-based or microbial alternatives to traditional animal rennet. So, when you see the (V) next to a Spenwood or Old Winchester, you know it’s veggie-friendly. Hooray! You can tailor or "bespoke" (as we call it) one of our Elvis, Lionel or Tina cheeseboxes by ticking "vegetarian" before adding it to your cart. We even have a vegetarian cheese filter on our Pick ‘N’ Mix cheese shop.

*Please note that due to the reign of animal rennet in most traditional, artisan cheese, vegetarian options for a long-term cheesegeek subscription are limited, and you may receive repeat cheeses every now and then to ensure a balanced selection.