Leerdammer is widely available in all major supermarkets throughout the UK, both in-store & online. Stockists of particular products are currently as follows: Leerdammer Original Asda, Co-op, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Tesco & Waitrose and Ocado Leerdammer Light Asda, Co-op, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Tesco & Waitrose and Ocado Leerdammer Toast & Burger: Home Bargains Leerdammer blocks: Asda Coop Morrisons Ocado Tesco and Waitrose If you can’t find your favourite Leerdammer product in store, do ask at the customer service desk to see if they could stock it.

Leerdammer is natural cheese, made from pasteurized milk. It’s made the traditional way, except that we use vegetarian rennet (not animal rennet) so it’s vegetarian cheese.  During cheese-making, we use lactic ferments to give the cheese it’s taste and flavour, and a little salt, to enhance the flavour and keep it safe.  There are no other ingredients – just great milk, vegetarian rennet, lactic ferments and a little salt. 

The holes in Leerdammer are made by special ferments which multiply and create little bubbles of gas (notably carbon dioxide)!  These gases build up into little pockets which in turn create the holes. Because it’s all part of the natural process caused by fermentation, these holes occur randomly throughout the cheese.  It’s similar to the process of bread-making.  Other cheeses don’t have holes because they don’t use the same combination of lactic ferments which make Leerdammer unique.

Each pack contains a certain number of slices. Our slicing machines are very sophisticated and they adjust the thickness of each slice very slightly to compensate for the holes: and ensure that the number of slices and the average pack weight conform to what is written on the packaging.

Leerdammer was developed in the Netherlands near to the village of Leerdam, after which it was named. The majority of cheese sold in the UK is made in Dalfsen, still only about 75 miles from Leerdamm itself. The milk we use is 100% Dutch milk, collected from farms within approximately 30-mile radius of our dairies. Click here to find out more.

Yes. Leerdammer is vegetarian cheese – even down to the rennet we use to help turn the milk into cheese.

No –  the Leerdammer range is comprised of natural, dairy products which are not suitable for vegans.

Yes, Leerdammer is lactose-free cheese. Sometimes people are surprised to learn that Leerdammer is naturally lactose-free. That’s because, any naturally-occurring lactose (of which there isn’t much) is poured away with the whey, and any remaining lactose is transformed during the maturing process by the lactic ferments. Independent tests show that the lactose remaining is less than <0.01g/100g. i.e. it’s virtually lactose-free.

Leerdammer is a natural cheese and we don’t add gluten during cheese-making. We don’t routinely test for the presence of gluten, and therefore by law we can’t claim that it is totally gluten-free. We can say for certain that we don’t add any.

Yes – it’s made from pasteurized milk – so is suitable for eating during pregnancy, as part of a balanced and healthy diet, of course. It’s also naturally rich in calcium and protein.

Yes our Original & Light slices packaging is 100% recyclable. The block and Burger & Toastie packs are yet to be recyclable but we are working on it!

In short, it means we want the best for our cows. There’s no such official term for ‘free-range cheese’ but for us, free grazing means that cows get to enjoy the great outdoors and graze on Dutch pastures for a minimum of 6 hours, for 120 days a year, from the spring to autumn. In winter, and at some other times, a cosy shed or stable is more comfortable for them. Find out more here about our free-grazing promise.

All of our 1200 partner-farmers are carefully selected and have to adhere to the guidelines and protocols set out by the Dutch authority). Additionally, we work closely with our partner-farmers and have developed additional guidelines to help the them monitor and improve the well-being of their cows: these guidelines cover everything related to their welfare – where they are housed, what they eat, how any illness is treated. Click here for more about our animal welfare and free-grazing promise.

Cheese can play a nutritious role in a healthy diet and balanced lifestyle. Leerdammer cheese is naturally rich in protein and calcium. Protein is needed for healthy bones and muscle mass. Calcium is important for keeping teeth and bones healthy.

No. In fact, Public Health England recommend that we eat at least 3 portions of low-fat dairy products every day, as part of a balanced and healthy lifestyle. Leerdammer slices are not only offer you convenience, but also, as they’re in slices, they are offering portion control – a proven help in eating the right amount. And if you’re looking for a lower-fat alternative, Leerdammer Light contains 3.2g of fat per slice – that’s 50% the fat of Cheddar.

No. It’s made by a traditional cheese-making process, using just 4 ingredients – milk, lactic ferments, vegetarian rennet and salt. Find out more about how we make Leerdammer so delicious – click here.

Salt is an important part of the traditional cheese-making process. It plays a key role in helping the good ferments to flourish and knocking out the bad ones. It helps the flavour develop and as a natural preservative, keeps the cheese safe to eat.