Careful cheese craftsmanship since 1872

Västerbottensost® has been made in the same way ever since Ulrika Eleonora Lindström created the legendary recipe in 1872. The formula is still a well-kept secret, known only to Cheese Master Thomas Rudin and a few other living people. Here you can learn more about the careful craftsmanship behind the cheese.

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Västerbottensost® can only be made in one single place in the world – our little dairy in Burträsk

"From fresh milk to finished cheese"
Learn more about the craftsmanship behind Västerbottensost® – step by step.
Our heroes: the cows & the milk
Every day, fresh milk arrives from our northern farms and is poured into the dairy's curdling vat. Did you know that only the milk from 61 selected farms can become Västerbottensost®?
“It takes 10 litres of milk to make one kilogram of cheese”
The milk is pasteurized by heating it up and quickly cooling it down again.
"During the curdling process, the milk is separated to extract the whey, and the grainy curd is poured into round moulds"
"The cheeses are pressed for 18 hours, while they are turned by hand according to a meticulous schedule"
"Our full-size cheeses weigh 18 kilos and are bigger than any other Swedish hard cheeses"
The pressed cheeses are left to rest in brine until they have developed the right surface, texture, saltiness and flavour.
"Now, the cheeses are moved to the maturing storehouse where they are left alone to age in peace and quiet"

Time, patience & love

At the storehouse in Ånäset, all Västerbottensost® is left to age and develop its unique flavour. The 18-kilo cheeses are carefully turned every day for the first 22 days. From then on, they are turned once every 21 days.

Welcome to the peace and quiet

"The cheeses are evaluated by Cheese Master Thomas & his team on a nine-point scale"

Västerbottensost® is aged for at least 14 months to develop its unique flavour. To determine if the cheese is ready, a sample is taken with a cheese drill. The sample is then rated by Cheese Master Thomas Rudin and his team on a nine-point scale, based on taste, aroma, texture, and appearance.

Get to know our Cheese Master

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"From fresh milk to finished cheese"

Our heroes: the cows & the milk

“It takes 10 litres of milk to make one kilogram of cheese”

"During the curdling process, the milk is separated to extract the whey, and the grainy curd is poured into round moulds"

"The cheeses are pressed for 18 hours, while they are turned by hand according to a meticulous schedule"

"Our full-size cheeses weigh 18 kilos and are bigger than any other Swedish hard cheeses"

"Now, the cheeses are moved to the maturing storehouse where they are left alone to age in peace and quiet"

Time, patience & love

"The cheeses are evaluated by Cheese Master Thomas & his team on a nine-point scale"

Get to know our Cheese Master