Cheese has long been a quiet but persistent presence in Pakistan’s culinary landscape, although its roots here are relatively recent compared to its ancient legacy elsewhere. Traditionally, dairy in Pakistan meant milk, yogurt, butter, and ghee, rich staples of everyday life, while cheese, in the European sense, remained a novelty. It was during the British colonial era that cheese was first formally introduced, with varieties like cheddar and processed cheeses finding their way into British households and cantonment clubs across the subcontinent. For decades after independence, cheese remained largely confined to imported brands or basic processed slices, treated more as a luxury or an add-on rather than an artisanal food in its own right.
In recent years, however, Pakistan’s relationship with cheese has evolved. The Pakistani cheese market today is a mix of well-established international brands and dominant local players. Imported names like Happy Cow, Puck, and Almarai have long catered to consumers seeking processed and spreadable cheeses, offering familiar flavors and convenience. On the local front, brands such as Adam’s, Nurpur, and Olper’s have built strong footholds, supplying a range of processed cheeses, mozzarella, and cheddar geared toward everyday use. While these brands have successfully popularised cheese across the country, most products are heavily processed, leaving a gap for artisanal, natural cheeses, a space that small local cheesemakers are beginning to fill. The content in this publication is expensive to produce. But unlike other journalistic outfits, business publications have to cover the very organizations that directly give them advertisements. Hence, this large source of revenue, which is the lifeblood of other media houses, is severely compromised on account of Profit’s no-compromise policy when it comes to our reporting. No wonder, Profit has lost multiple ad deals, worth tens of millions of rupees, due to stories that held big businesses to account. Hence, for our work to continue unfettered, it must be supported by discerning readers who know the value of quality business journalism, not just for the economy but for the society as a whole.To read the full article, subscribe and support independent business journalism in Pakistan
