Protected North Holland provenance
Many Beemster cheeses carry the EU Noord-Hollandse Gouda PDO designation. The PDO protects cheese made with milk sourced solely from North Holland and preserves its traceable regional character.
North Holland pasture milk · Dutch cheesemaking craft
Find Beemster cheese near you in seconds.
Creamy, naturally matured Gouda with a real sense of place. Find a nearby stockist, then discover what makes Beemster taste unmistakably Beemster.
- North Holland pasture milk
- Naturally lactose-free*
- Aged on wooden boards
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Why Beemster tastes different
This is not just another Gouda.
Beemster begins with pasture milk from North Holland and a process that deliberately keeps the cheesemaker's hand in the cheese. The curd is hand-stirred in open vats, the wheels mature naturally on wooden boards, and time is allowed to build flavour without sacrificing Beemster's signature creamy texture.
- Farmer-owned cooperative founded in 1901
- Pasteurised cow's milk and traditional animal rennet
- Approximately 10 litres of milk for every kilogram of cheese
The Beemster difference, decoded
Six details cheese people care about.
Provenance and process—not filler—explain the texture, flavour and quality in every wheel.
Pasture-grazed—not a vague “grass-fed” claim
Beemster is made from North Holland pasture milk. CONO reported its cows grazed outside for an average of 176 days at more than 10 hours per day in 2023. All CONO cheeses carry the Dutch Weidemelk pasture-milk hallmark.
Naturally lactose-free
During cheesemaking and maturation, lactose is removed or broken down. CONO declares Beemster naturally lactose-free at less than 0.1 g lactose per 100 g of cheese.*
Curd still stirred by hand
Master cheesemakers monitor and hand-stir the curd in open vats. That careful curd handling helps create an even cheese bed and the supple, creamy body associated with Beemster.
Wood, time and controlled ageing
Wheels mature naturally on spruce boards, where they are turned and checked regularly. Depending on the style, maturation can run from approximately five weeks to 26 months.
Those crystals are a feature
The tiny crunches in mature Beemster are naturally occurring tyrosine crystals, formed as proteins change during ageing. They signal maturation—not added salt or sugar.
*Naturally lactose-free does not mean dairy-free. Beemster contains cow's milk and is unsuitable for people with a milk allergy. PDO status applies only to qualifying products displaying the PDO designation.
Your next favourite cheese awaits
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Find a stockistStock and varieties may differ by retailer. We recommend contacting the store before making a special trip.