The spruce imparts a resinous flavour to the pale interior of the cheese which becomes almost liquid as it matures.

Cheese has been made in the Franche Comté since the 12th century. It was produced first in the great abbeys such as Saint-Claude and Montbenôit. Vacherin du Haut Doubs is a relatively recent addition to the local range of cheeses, having been made for a mere 200 years.

Its making goes back to when the borders between countries were less defined and this had, until recently, led to arguments between France and Switzerland as to who had first made the cheese and who had rights over the cheese. Recently, agreement has been reached and the French now call their cheese Vacherin du Haut Doubs whilst the Swiss cheese is known as Vacherin du Mont d'Or. Although the problems have been officially resolved, confusion still exist with the cheese still being referred to as simply Vacherin, or Mont d'Or or Vacherin Mont d'Or. The Swiss version is made using pasteurised cows' milk and the French using unpasteurised cows' milk. At the Teddington Cheese we prefer the French version.

The cheese is shaped in cloth-lined moulds then encircled with a strip of spruce bark and washed with brine for at least three weeks. The spruce imparts a resinous flavour to the pale interior of the cheese which becomes almost liquid as it matures. The undulating golden crust, tinged with pink, shows faint cloth markings. Before eating the cheese the top rind is removed from the cheese and the paste is spooned out.

The cheese first gained its AOC status on 24th March 1982 and this was modified on 29th December 1986. The AOC rules dictate that it can only be made between the 15th August, when the cows return from their mountain pastures, and 31st March. The first cheese each year is ready at the end of September and Vacherin is a popular cheese at Christmas time. AOC rules also specify areas and methods of production. On the French side of the Massif du Mont d'Or there are around 40 villages that lie above 800m, spreading from the source of the River Doubs to the Saut du Doubs. Between them they produce 1700 tonnes of cheese every year. Milk from two types of cattle are used, the Montbéliard and the Pie Rouge de l'Est. The cheese is then made into Mont d'Or in the same 20 co-operatives where Comté is produced in the spring and summer.

Vacherin du Haut Doubs is available in three sizes; the smallest is 400g in weight, 4cm tall and 12cm in diameter; the next largest is 800g in weight, 4cm tall and 16cm in diameter; the largest is the cutting Vacherin which is 1.3kg in weight, 4cm tall and 30cm in diameter. All have a fat content of 50%. We generally to stock the 400g version.

The cheese can be enjoyed with wines such as Beaujolais Nouveau, Côtes du Jura and Champagne.