Our Christmas orders are now closed. You can still buy our Cheese Subscriptions to start in January, as well as book our courses and tasting events. If you want to purchase vouchers you can do so until the 20th December but please note that it can take up to 48 hours for the vouchers to be emailed to you as we process these manually.
We have a full counter of cheese in our shop in Pangbourne so you can still come in and purchase items in store
Price range: £4.00 through £40.00
Gjetost is really one of Norway’s most distinctive and well-loved cheeses, with a fascinating story and a flavour all its own. Its sweet caramel notes and dense, smooth texture make it a real treat, whether you have it on rye bread with fruit and jam or alongside something savoury. If you haven’t tried it yet, I’d definitely recommend giving it a go; it’s a little taste of Norwegian tradition that’s sure to win you over.
If you’ve ever come across Gjetost (sometimes called brunost or just ‘brown cheese’), you’ll know it’s a bit of an oddball! It’s as Norwegian as they come, and what sets it apart is that it’s made by cooking whey until it caramelises, which gives it a sweet, rich flavour that’s really quite unlike anything else I’ve tasted. Gjetost has been part of Norwegian life for centuries and is still very much loved today.
Gjetost comes from the rural, mountainous corners of Norway, where cheese-making is a proper family tradition, passed down through the generations. The name means ‘goat cheese’ in Norwegian, as it started out with goat’s milk. Here in the UK you’ll usually find it made with a mix of cow’s and goat’s milk, but in Norway you can often find pure goat’s cheeses.
Gjetost is a great example of making sure nothing goes to waste. It started as a clever way for dairy farmers to use up leftover whey from cheesemaking. They’d boil the whey for hours until most of the water had gone, leaving behind a thick, caramelised mixture. Once it cooled and was pressed into moulds, it turned into this dense, fudgy cheese with a rich, sweet flavour. It’s been around since the 1800s and was a real staple in Norwegian homes, often eaten with bread, a bit of butter, or even some jam. It’s one of those cheeses that’s as practical as it is delicious. Even now, you’ll find it everywhere in Norway, from breakfast tables to desserts.
Gjetost is a real treat for the senses, both in taste and texture. The first thing you notice is its deep amber-brown colour, thanks to the caramelisation of milk sugars during cooking. That colour is a little hint of the sweet, rich flavour waiting inside.
Taste-wise, Gjetost is sweet and caramel-like, with a gentle tang that keeps it from being too much. The caramelised milk sugars give it a buttery, toffee-like flavour that’s really quite unique. The sweetness is definitely the star here, but there’s just enough tang to remind you it’s still a cheese, not a pudding. We always describe it to customers as Caramac!
Jen’s note: My Grandad’s family are Danish and he would tell me that as a child he would take some Gjetost in his pocket to school. He’d warm it up and roll it into a ball, then suck on it like a sweet!
Sizes and Prices
Storage Advice
Delivery and Collection
Ingredients (Allergens are listed in capitals)
MILK, cream (MILK), Sweet rennet whey (MILK)
Normal opening Monday – Saturday 9am – 4pm until:
Sunday 22nd 9am – 4pm
Monday 23rd 9am – 4pm
Christmas Eve 9am – 12pm
Christmas Day Closed
Boxing Day Closed
Friday 27th Closed
Saturday 28th 9am – 4pm
Sunday 29th Closed
Monday 30th 9am – 2pm
Tuesday 31st 9am – 2pm
New Year’s Day Closed
Thursday 2nd January Closed
Friday 3rd 9am – 4pm then open as normal
After Christmas our courier delivery slots start from 8th January.
