La Trappe à Fromage

What La Trappe à Fromage does

La Trappe à Fromage is an artisanal cheese producer and specialty gourmet food retailer headquartered in Gatineau, Quebec. Founded in 1995 by Gilles Joanisse and Mario Hébert, the company operates an 11,000-square-foot production facility that processes approximately 1,750 kg of cheese daily from more than 4.4 million liters of locally sourced Outaouais milk annually. Its own-label range spans fresh cheeses — including the Squick Squick cheese curd recognized with a 2006 CASEUS d'Or award for best fresh cheese curd in Quebec — cheddars, and fine aged varieties, sold alongside a curated assortment of more than 350 Quebec and international cheeses, charcuterie, microbrewery beers, and fine groceries.

The company sells to individual gourmet consumers primarily through seven owned retail locations across the Outaouais region — Gatineau, Hull, Aylmer, Chelsea, Masson-Angers, Val-des-Monts, and the factory boutique — augmented by an online ordering platform with in-store pickup. Secondary revenue lines include private and corporate catering services and an affiliated Trappe à Poutine restaurant concept that extends the brand into foodservice. Production capacity was tripled with the late-2019 facility build-out, and ~$2M in cumulative government grants (a 2018 federal grant of C$442,755 and a C$750,000 CED-QR grant plus accompanying funding in October 2024) have funded ongoing automation, digitalization, and capacity expansion. The company employs roughly 65 people across production, retail, catering, and restaurant operations and is positioning for a flagship renovation at its Gatineau store beginning May 2026.

Name

La Trappe à Fromage

Legal name

La Trappe à Fromage

Website

https://trappeafromage.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

La Trappe à Fromage is a Gatineau-based artisanal cheese producer and gourmet food retailer, founded in 1995, operating seven retail locations across the Outaouais region to serve individual consumers, catering clients, and dine-in guests.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Artisan Cheese Production and Gourmet Food Retail

NAICS

Other Specialty Food Retailers (44529), All Other Specialty Food Retailers (445298)

SIC

Dairy Products (2020), Retail-Grocery Stores (5411), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYCRADACAC

Cheese (Natural & Processed)

Consumer Products & Retail/Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) Manufacturing & Brands/Dairy & Refrigerated Foods

SECONDARYCRAHAGAD

Cheese Shops & Fromageries

Consumer Products & Retail/Grocery & Food Retail/Specialty Food Stores (Deli, Cheese, Gourmet, Bakery)

Keywords

• Artisan cheese production
• Gourmet food retail
• Specialty cheese distribution
• Catering services
• Fine grocery store

Headquarters

HQ city

Gatineau

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Retail Store Sales (In-Store Purchases): Sale of freshly made cheeses, fine groceries, charcuterie, microbrewery beers, and prepared foods directly to consumers at seven physical retail locations across the Outaouais region.
2. E-Commerce / Online Store: Online ordering with in-store pickup at any of the seven locations. Covers the same product categories as retail stores.
3. Catering & Event Services: Custom catering for corporate events, private dinners, weddings, and virtual events. Offers cheese and charcuterie platters, canapés, sandwiches, salads, and desserts prepared by an in-house chef. Also rents raclette machines.
4. Specialty & Imported Fine Food Resale: Resale of over 300 Quebec cheeses and 350+ cheeses from around the world, imported fine grocery items, microbrewery beers, and charcuterie products sourced from external producers.
5. Restaurant / Food Service (Trappe à Poutine): Full-service restaurant at 490 Chem. Industriel offering breakfast, a snack bar/poutine counter, and an ice cream shop (Crèmerie La Trappe).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

La Trappe à Fromage is an artisan cheesemaker and gourmet food retailer that produces fresh cheeses daily from 100% local Outaouais milk at its Gatineau production plant and sells them alongside over 350 Quebec and European cheeses, fine groceries, charcuterie, and microbrewery beers through seven retail boutiques, an e-commerce store with in-store pickup, a catering service, and the Trappe à Poutine restaurant concept in the Outaouais region of Quebec.

Product overview

La Trappe à Fromage is an artisanal cheese factory and gourmet food retailer operating as a single unified business with multiple retail locations and an online store. The company produces its own line of fresh artisanal cheeses (including the signature Squick Squick cheese curds and L'Attrappe Coeur) at its Gatineau production plant, while also curating over 350 imported and Quebec cheeses. Additional offerings include fine groceries, charcuterie, local microbrewery beers, and a full catering service. The Trappe à Poutine sub-brand operates as an on-site restaurant concept featuring poutine and grilled-cheese specialties. All products are available across seven retail locations throughout the Outaouais region and via online ordering.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• L'Attrappe Coeur: A flowery rind cheese with a cream-colored paste, varying from chalky to creamy texture. Named from a play on words: La Trappe and heart. Available in 180 gram wheel shaped like a heart.

Products and services

• House-Made Artisan Cheeses (Les fromages La Trappe)
• Quebec Cheeses (Les fromages québécois)
• Fine Groceries (Épicerie fine)
• Charcuterie Products
• Microbrewery Beers, Ciders, Cocktails, and Wines
• Catering Service (Service traiteur)
• Trappe à Poutine Restaurant
• L'Attrappe Coeur
• Squick Squick Cheese Curds
• Online Store (Boutique en ligne)

Quantifiable outcome

• CASEUS d'Or winner 2006 — Best fresh cheese curd in Quebec (Squick Squick cheese curds)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Local Outaouais Dairy FarmscoreOthersLa Trappe à Fromage sources 100% of its milk from local Outaouais farms, transforming over 4,400,000 litres annually. The company bears the effigy of Canadian dairy farmers and is a significant supporter of the local agricultural economy.
• Microbrewery Partners (5e Baron, Gallicus, La Dérive, Montebello, Chelsea & Co, Brasseurs des Collines)minorOthersLa Trappe à Fromage offers a curated selection of craft beers from local Outaouais and Quebec microbreweries including 5e Baron, Gallicus, La Dérive, Montebello, Chelsea & Co, and Brasseurs des Collines at select store locations.
• Moisson OutaouaisminorOthersLa Trappe à Fromage works alongside Moisson Outaouais (food bank) as part of its social cause initiatives, supporting food security in the region.
• Vallée jeunesseminorOthersLa Trappe à Fromage partners with Vallée jeunesse for food evening events supporting youth in the community.
• CentraideminorOthersLa Trappe à Fromage supports Centraide (United Way) as part of its community engagement and social cause program.
• Fondation Santé GatineauminorOthersLa Trappe à Fromage partners with Fondation Santé Gatineau as part of its social cause and community support initiatives.
• Mathieu Froment Savoie HouseminorOthersLa Trappe à Fromage works alongside Mathieu Froment Savoie House (community organization) as part of its social cause initiatives.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Fromagerie La Chaudière: Quebec artisan cheese producer distributing through Quebec specialty grocers and cheese shops. Comparable as a Quebec artisan cheesemaker in the same CASEUS-award competition set as La Trappe à Fromage.
• Le Fromagier: Quebec specialty cheese retailer/wholesaler offering a wide selection of Quebec and imported artisan cheeses to retail and food-service customers. Comparable as a Quebec cheese specialty retailer with curated multi-producer assortment and B2B/wholesale supply.
• Fromagerie du Presbytère: Award-winning Quebec artisan cheese producer (multiple CASEUS awards) known for raw-milk cheeses sold through Quebec specialty retail. Comparable as a Quebec award-winning artisan cheesemaker serving similar gourmet retail channels.
• Fromagerie Saint-Guillaume: Quebec artisan cheese producer serving the specialty gourmet retail channel. Directly comparable as a Quebec-based artisan cheese maker with multi-SKU offerings in fine grocery and cheese shop channels.
• Fromagerie de l'Abbaye (Saint-Benoît-du-Lac): Quebec Benedictine monastery producing artisan cheeses distributed across Quebec specialty retail. Directly comparable as a Quebec artisan cheese producer with multi-SKU specialty offerings and a regional/Quebec retail footprint.
• Cheese Boutique (Toronto): Toronto-based specialty cheese retailer offering 500+ cheeses plus charcuterie, fine groceries, and catering. Directly comparable as a specialty cheese retailer combining curated third-party cheeses with in-house expertise and catering services — though without on-site artisan production.

Broad incumbents

• Agropur: Quebec-based dairy cooperative and one of the largest cheese manufacturers in North America, producing both commodity and specialty cheeses. Comparable as a Quebec dairy/cheese producer with broad retail reach; differs from La Trappe à Fromage in operating as a cooperative at industrial scale.
• Saputo: Canada's largest dairy processor and a major cheese manufacturer with national distribution across retail and food service. Comparable as a Quebec-headquartered dairy/cheese producer operating at industrial scale; however, Saputo is a broad incumbent, not a regional artisanal specialist like La Trappe à Fromage.

Regional players

• Provisions (Ottawa): Ottawa-based specialty food retailer and catering business focused on fine cheeses, charcuterie, and gourmet groceries. Comparable as a regional specialty food retailer/caterer in the Ottawa-Gatineau market with a similar curated cheese and gourmet assortment proposition.
• St-Albert Cheese Co-op: Quebec-based cheese producer with a strong Ontario retail presence and own retail store. Comparable as a Quebec cheese producer with both production and retail operations, though operating in a different geographic corridor (Eastern Ontario) than La Trappe à Fromage.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/trappeafromage
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/la-trappe-a-fromage-inc.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about La Trappe à Fromage