Pont-l'Évêque

Pont-l'Évêque is a cow's milk cheese with a soft paste and a square or rectangular shape, produced within a defined area of Normandy. The rind is whitish to reddish in colour and may be brushed or washed. The paste is ivory to straw-yellow, supple, and homogenous except for a few holes. The cheese must contain at least 45 g of fat per 100 g after total desiccation.

About this designation

Pont-l'Évêque holds PDO status, registered under file number PDO-FR-0129 and identified in the EU register as EUGI00000012912, with EU protection dating from 21 June 1996. The designation covers cow's milk cheeses produced, manufactured, and ripened within a defined geographical area spanning cantons and municipalities in the departments of Calvados, Eure, La Manche, and Orne. Four formats are recognised: grand Pont-l'Évêque, with a square surface 190 to 210 mm long and a net weight of 1 200 to 1 600 g; Pont-l'Évêque, with a square surface 105 to 115 mm long and a net weight of 300 to 400 g; demi Pont-l'Évêque, with a rectangular surface 105 to 115 mm long and 52 to 57 mm wide and a net weight of 150 to 200 g; and petit Pont-l'Évêque, with a square surface 85 to 95 mm long and a net weight of 180 to 250 g. From 1 May 2017, at least 50 % of the dairy cows on each holding must be of the Normande breed. Dairy cows must graze for at least six months of the year, and at least 80 %, expressed as dry matter, of the fodder-based basic ration must come from parcels within the geographical area. Complementary feed is restricted to 1 800 kg per cow per calendar year. Each cheese sold must bear an individual label carrying the designation name in letters at least two thirds the size of the largest characters on the label, together with the words 'Appellation d'Origine Protégée' or 'PDO' and the EU PDO symbol.

Source: The register document this entry was written from · retrieved August 26, 2026

Distinctive facts

• Registered as a PDO on 21 June 1996 under file number PDO-FR-0129; EU register identifier EUGI00000012912.
• From 1 May 2017, at least 50 % of dairy cows on each holding must be of the Normande breed.
• The specification prohibits the use of rocou as a rind colouring agent; the rind colour is described as whitish to reddish.
• The demi Pont-l'Évêque is the only format with a rectangular rather than square surface, measuring 105 to 115 mm long and 52 to 57 mm wide.

Tasting notes

Normandy cow's milk square-shaped washed-rind soft cheese, aged 18+ days. Pale gold-orange rind, pale ivory paste, supple creamy texture, balanced flavor with mild farmyard notes and sweet-grassy finish — milder than Livarot, more refined than industrial washed-rind cheeses.

HoReCa use

Plateau de fromages Norman selection; with sliced apple; pairs with cidre and Calvados.

Packaging

• square-block-220g
• square-block-1kg
• wedge-vacuum-150g