In brief: There is no protected raclette outside Switzerland, but a few American and British cheesemakers make washed-rind cheeses that melt just as they should. Leelanau Raclette, from Michigan, has even won two Super Golds at the World Cheese Awards.

Sheet checked on 11/02/2026 against the official websites of producers and industry bodies. Do you make this cheese? Write to us to be listed in the directory.

Fact sheet: Raclettes from the United States and the United Kingdom

CountryUnited States and United Kingdom
RegionMichigan (Leelanau County); Somerset (North Cadbury); London (Bermondsey)
Designationno protected designation; the World Championship Cheese Contest (Wisconsin) opened a raclette category in 2024 (Dairy Foods)
Milkcow: local Leelanau County milk; pasteurized Jersey milk for Ogleshield (Neal’s Yard Dairy); raw milk for the Kappacasein cheeses
Texturepressed, uncooked, washed rind
Aging3 to 4 months for Leelanau Raclette; about 3 months on average for Ogleshield (Neal’s Yard Dairy)
Shapewheels of about 4.9 to 5.6 kg (10.8 to 12 lb) for a whole Ogleshield, portions from 250 g (9 oz) to 2 kg (4.4 lb)
Tastemild to fruity
Melt5/5: Leelanau promises a silky melt with little fat separation; Ogleshield is sold as the English equivalent of raclette for its melt

Its story

The English-speaking story of raclette comes down to a few Alpine encounters. In Michigan, John Hoyt discovered raclette in Switzerland, where he was finishing an apprenticeship with a cheesemaker, and met Anne there, a Frenchwoman who was a shepherdess at the time. In 1995, the couple founded Leelanau Cheese in a garage in Omena, before settling in Suttons Bay. Their raclette won a Super Gold at the 2016 World Cheese Awards in Spain, then another at the 2023 edition in Norway. In England, Ogleshield was born at the Montgomerys’ farm in North Cadbury, Somerset, known for their cheddar. The cheese was first called Jersey Shield and had a rind of gray mold. William Oglethorpe, then an affineur at Neal’s Yard Dairy, suggested washing it in brine: the cheese changed character and name, in honor of its author. Oglethorpe, trained in the Swiss Jura, went on to found Kappacasein in London, has sold raclette at Borough Market since 2008 and eventually made his own, the London Raclette.

Video: © Neal’s Yard Dairy (NealsYardDairyFilms), tour of the aging caves, watch on YouTube

Taste and melt: what happens in the pan

These raclettes don’t copy the Valais, they interpret it. Leelanau Raclette, made with county milk and aged three to four months, is described as silky, with little fat separation when heated gently. As it ages, it takes on a Gruyère-like character, according to the creamery. Ogleshield, made with the milk of the Montgomery herd’s Jersey cows, is washed in brine every three days. Neal’s Yard Dairy finds a sweet, milky smell and a warm, salty flavor reminiscent of chicken broth, under a pink, slightly pungent rind. Its supple paste melts beautifully, which makes it the star of London’s raclette stalls. Kappacasein’s London Raclette, made with raw milk, plays the farmhouse-cheese card with a sticky pink rind, an elastic texture and an unapologetic barnyard aroma. In short, three styles and one obsession: the perfect pour over a potato.

On the nose and palate: silky and milky for Leelanau Raclette, which recalls Gruyère as it ages; sweet, milky and chicken broth for Ogleshield, according to Neal’s Yard Dairy

How to serve it

Plan on about 200 g (7 oz) per person, a little more if raclette is the only dish. Cut slices 3 to 4 mm (1/8 in) thick and let the cheese come to room temperature before putting it in the raclette pan. For Ogleshield, a 300 to 350 g (10.5 to 12 oz) portion is enough for two reasonable people or one honest one. Leelanau suggests laying thin slices over potatoes, pasta, eggs or bread, then putting it under the broiler until the cheese is golden and crisp, with pickled onions and gherkins. As for drinks, a dry Somerset cider, an English ale or a dry Michigan Riesling will do the job nicely.

Pairings

  • Wines: dry Michigan Riesling, dry Somerset cider, light Pinot noir, English ale
  • On the table: potatoes, gherkins and pickled onions, cooked ham, sourdough bread, sweet chutney

Our recipes with this cheese

  • Traditional raclette, the basic recipe
  • Raclette-style grilled open sandwiches
  • Homemade raclette burger

How much should you buy? Our guide to raclette cheese quantities per person does the math, and our comparison of the best raclette cheeses stacks it up against the others.

Producers of raclettes from the United States and the United Kingdom: the directory

Four families of producers, from the giant to the small alpine dairy. Contact details taken from their official websites; logos are displayed from those sites, with credit.

The best known

The brands you come across in stores.

Logo Neal's Yard Dairy

Neal’s Yard Dairy

London, United Kingdom

London affineur and cheesemonger that helped create Ogleshield and sells it in portions from 300 g (10.5 oz) up to the whole wheel of about 5 kg (11 lb).

Logo: © Neal’s Yard Dairy, displayed from its official website.

The most renowned

Medalists, award winners or renowned affineurs, with a sourced distinction.

Logo Leelanau Cheese Company

Leelanau Cheese Company

Suttons Bay (Michigan), United States

Creamery founded in 1995 by John and Anne Hoyt, specializing in a northern Michigan raclette aged 3 to 4 months, with an older Reserve version.

  • Address: 3324 S West Bay Shore Dr, Suttons Bay, MI 49682, United States
  • Phone: +1 231 271 2600
  • Website: leelanaucheese.com
  • Social: Facebook · Instagram
  • Distinction: Super Gold at the World Cheese Awards 2016 in Spain (Interlochen Public Radio, February 2, 2017) and Super Gold for Leelanau Raclette at the World Cheese Awards 2023 in Norway (9&10 News, January 2, 2024)

Logo: © Leelanau Cheese Company, displayed from its official website.

Small local producers

Farms, alpine pastures and village dairies.

Logo Montgomery Cheese (Ogleshield) / North Cadbury Village Stores

Montgomery Cheese (Ogleshield) / North Cadbury Village Stores

North Cadbury (Somerset), United Kingdom

Somerset village where Ogleshield is born, made with the milk of the Montgomery herd’s Jersey cows, washed in brine every three days and sold from 250 g (9 oz) to 2 kg (4.4 lb).

Logo: © Montgomery Cheese (Ogleshield) / North Cadbury Village Stores, displayed from its official website.

Logo Kappacasein Dairy

Kappacasein Dairy

London, United Kingdom

William Oglethorpe’s urban creamery, which has served raclette at Borough Market since 2008 and makes London Raclette from raw milk.

  • Address: Borough Market stall, 1 Stoney Street, London SE1 9AA; Saturday sales at Spa Terminus, 1 Voyager Industrial Estate, London SE16 4RP, United Kingdom
  • Email: orders@kappacasein.com (trade orders)
  • Website: kappacasein.com
  • Contact: form
  • Social: Instagram

Logo: © Kappacasein Dairy, displayed from its official website.

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Where to buy it

Leelanau Raclette is sold at the creamery in Suttons Bay and in its online shop. Ogleshield can be found at Neal’s Yard Dairy, in its London shops and online, as well as at the North Cadbury village store, in the village where it is made. Kappacasein’s London Raclette is enjoyed melted at their Borough Market stall in London. None of these raclettes has an official label: check the name of the cheese and the maker on the label, and beware of cheeses simply called raclette-style with no clear origin.

More places to look in our guide to where to buy good raclette cheese.

Video: © Claire Jordan, portrait linked from the About page of kappacasein.com, watch on YouTube

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Frequently asked questions

Is Ogleshield a raclette?

It is not a raclette in the Swiss sense, but its seller presents it as the English equivalent of raclette: it melts and browns beautifully.

Which American raclette has won awards?

Leelanau Cheese’s raclette, in Michigan, won a Super Gold at the World Cheese Awards 2016 and another at the 2023 edition in Norway.

Is Ogleshield made with raw milk?

According to Neal’s Yard Dairy, Ogleshield is made with pasteurized cow’s milk. Kappacasein’s London Raclette, on the other hand, is made with raw milk.

Read also: all raclette cheeses, the secrets of a successful raclette and what is raclette?

Sources