Widmer’s Cheese Cellars
Widmer's Cheese Cellars is a family-owned Wisconsin artisan cheesemaker founded in 1922 in Theresa, producing Brick, Butterkäse, Cheddar (aged 1–15 years), and Colby cheeses, sold direct-to-consumer via its e-commerce site and on-site retail store.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1922
- HeadquartersTheresa, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Widmer’s Cheese Cellars does
Widmer's Cheese Cellars is a privately held, family-owned artisan cheesemaker founded in 1922 in Theresa, Wisconsin. The company produces Brick, Butterkäse, Cheddar, and Colby cheeses for the United States market, with a specialty in aged Cheddars ranging from one year to fifteen years, the latter made in 40-pound batches and characterized by calcium lactate crystals and complex flavor profiles. Production relies on traditional manufacturing techniques passed down through generations of European and Wisconsin cheesemakers, and the company's Master Cheesemaker certification (held by Joseph C. Widmer) anchors its quality credentials and award history, which includes American Cheese Society Blue Ribbons and a World Awards Bronze.
The company sells primarily direct-to-consumer through its own e-commerce site (widmerscheese.com) with UPS-shipped orders to most U.S. states, supplemented by an in-person retail store at its Theresa, Wisconsin headquarters. Pricing is unit-based, varying by cheese variety and aging duration (for example, fresh curds at roughly $9.69-$10.10 per pound, 4-year cheddar at $18.06 per 15 ounces, and 10-year cheddar at $29.41 per 15 ounces). Shipping promotions include free ground shipping on orders over $150 and a 10 percent discount on orders over $75, with six state exclusions (CA, AZ, FL, NV, TX, UT). The product portfolio also includes a line of cheese spreads, cheese curds, gift cards, and bundled gift boxes.
Revenue mechanics are split between e-commerce order fulfillment and on-site retail at the Theresa store, with cheese enthusiasts and foodies as the primary consumer segment and a secondary food-service/specialty-retail channel. The company does not disclose financial figures, has no external institutional investors, and has received only modest grant funding (notably $100,000 from the Center for Dairy Research in 2023) tied to dairy research collaboration. Its moat rests on heritage, family continuity, master cheesemaker expertise, and a rare ultra-aged cheddar line — assets that support a stable niche positioning rather than a high-growth profile.
Widmer’s Cheese Cellars firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Widmer’s Cheese Cellars
- Legal name
- Widmer's Cheese Cellars
- Website
- https://widmerscheese.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1922
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Widmer's Cheese Cellars is a family-owned Wisconsin artisan cheesemaker founded in 1922 in Theresa, producing Brick, Butterkäse, Cheddar (aged 1–15 years), and Colby cheeses, sold direct-to-consumer via its e-commerce site and on-site retail store.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Widmer’s Cheese Cellars industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Artisan Cheese Manufacturing
- NAICS
- Cheese Manufacturing (311513), Dairy Product Manufacturing (3115)
- SIC
- Dairy Products (2020), Food And Kindred Products (2000)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Ripened Natural Cheese Manufacturing (Semi-Soft, Hard & Blue) (AFAHABAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Cheese Aging/Affineur Services (Maturation & Cave-Aging) (AFAHABAH), Processed Cheese & Cheese Spreads Manufacturing (Slices, Loaves, Spreadable) (AFAHABAD), Fresh/Natural Cheese Manufacturing (Unripened & Soft) (AFAHABAA)
Keywords
Where Widmer’s Cheese Cellars is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Theresa
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Widmer’s Cheese Cellars business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Direct E-commerce Sales: Online sales through widmerscheese.com with direct shipping to consumer addresses, offering free ground shipping on orders over $150 or 10% discount on orders over $75
- Retail Store Sales: In-person sales at the Theresa, WI retail location, open Monday-Saturday 7AM-5PM and Sundays June-October 10AM-3PM
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | 10 Year Aged Cheddar 15oz - $29.41 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | 4 Year Aged Cheddar 15oz - $18.06 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | 2 Year Aged Cheddar 2 LB - $23.40 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Cheese Spreads (8oz) - $5.74-$5.86 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Cheese Curds (1 LB) - $9.69-$10.10 |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Widmer’s Cheese Cellars product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Widmer's Cheese Cellars is a family-owned Wisconsin cheesemaker that produces traditional Brick, Butterkäse, Cheddar, and Colby cheeses, including aged cheddars aged up to 15 years, cheese curds, spreads, and related dairy products. The company operates a retail store and ships cheese directly to customers via its e-commerce site using UPS.
Product overview
Widmer's Cheese Cellars is a traditional Wisconsin cheese company producing artisanal cheeses, primarily focusing on Brick, Butterkäse, Cheddar, and Colby varieties. The product portfolio includes aged Cheddar cheeses ranging from 1-year to 15-year aging (in both regular and white variants), Brick and Colby cheeses, cheese curds, and a line of flavored cheese spreads (including jalapeno, garlic herb, port wine, smokey bacon, and specialty spreads like Cranberry Brick and Matterhorn Cheddar). The company also offers gift cards. Products are sold primarily through their e-commerce website with shipping across the United States.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Brick Cheese
- Butterkäse
- Cheddar Cheese (Aged 1–15 years)
- Colby Cheese
- Cheese Curds
- Cheese Spreads
Companies that use Widmer’s Cheese Cellars
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Widmer’s Cheese Cellars technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Widmer’s Cheese Cellars partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- UPSUPS handles package shipping for direct-to-consumer cheese orders from widmerscheese.com. Customer shipping information is provided to UPS for order fulfillment purposes.
- Third-Party Drop ShippersminorThird-party suppliers that function as drop shippers for specific products, receiving only order-specific information transmitted via secure email, HTTP, or FTP.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Widmer’s Cheese Cellars competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Vermont Creamery: Artisan dairy producer of cheeses and cultured butter with a focus on heritage and quality. Comparable as a smaller premium artisan dairy brand pursuing D2C and specialty retail, though focused more on cultured and fresh styles than aged cheddar.
Direct peers
- BelGioioso Cheese Company: Family-owned Wisconsin specialty cheesemaker producing Italian-style and American cheeses including aged varieties. Comparable as another Wisconsin-headquartered, multi-generational artisan manufacturer with similar D2C and foodservice channels.
- Cedar Grove Cheese: Wisconsin artisan cheese producer with a long heritage and a portfolio of aged cheddars, Brick, and specialty cheeses. Comparable as another Wisconsin family-rooted maker overlapping in the Brick and aged cheddar categories.
- Beecher's Handmade Cheese: An artisan cheese maker specializing in flagship aged cheddar (Handmade Cheese flagship cheese, flagships cheese). Comparable as a premium, story-driven aged cheddar brand with retail and D2C distribution and award-winning status.
- Roth Cheese: Wisconsin specialty cheese maker known for aged Grand Cru and alpine-style cheeses. Comparable as a Wisconsin-based producer competing in the premium aged artisan segment and pursuing national D2C distribution.
- Cabot Creamery: Farmer-owned cooperative producing aged cheddars and other cheeses with strong national distribution. Comparable as a producer competing in the aged cheddar space with award recognition, though at significantly larger scale.
- Sartori Cheese: A family-owned Wisconsin artisan cheese producer founded in 1939, known for aged cheddar, Parmesan, and Italian-style cheeses. Highly comparable as another multi-generational Wisconsin maker competing in the same artisan aged-cheese category.
- Carr Valley Cheese: Wisconsin artisan cheese producer offering aged cheddars, Brick, Colby, and specialty cheeses with award-winning products. Directly competes in Widmer's core aged cheddar and Brick cheese categories from the same Wisconsin region.
Broad incumbents
- Murray's Cheese: Specialty cheese retailer and wholesaler curating aged and artisan cheeses nationally, with retail locations and e-commerce. Comparable as a competitor in distributing premium aged cheeses to consumers, but operates primarily as a curator rather than a manufacturer.
- Tillamook County Creamery Association: Oregon-based farmer-owned dairy cooperative offering a broad portfolio of cheeses, ice cream, and dairy products nationally. Comparable in the aged cheddar category but much larger and more diversified across dairy categories.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Widmer’s Cheese Cellars social profiles
Digital presenceWidmer’s Cheese Cellars financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Widmer’s Cheese Cellars leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Widmer’s Cheese Cellars funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Widmer’s Cheese Cellars M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Widmer’s Cheese Cellars
What does Widmer’s Cheese Cellars do?
Widmer's Cheese Cellars is a family-owned Wisconsin cheesemaker that produces traditional Brick, Butterkäse, Cheddar, and Colby cheeses, including aged cheddars aged up to 15 years, cheese curds, spreads, and related dairy products. The company operates a retail store and ships cheese directly to customers via its e-commerce site using UPS.
Is Widmer’s Cheese Cellars a public or private company?
Widmer’s Cheese Cellars is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Widmer’s Cheese Cellars founded?
Widmer’s Cheese Cellars was founded in 1922. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Widmer’s Cheese Cellars based?
Widmer’s Cheese Cellars is headquartered in Theresa, United States, in the North America region.
How does Widmer’s Cheese Cellars make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Direct E-commerce Sales are the primary driver. The others are retail Store Sales.
Who are Widmer’s Cheese Cellars's main competitors?
Vermont Creamery is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are BelGioioso Cheese Company, Cedar Grove Cheese, Beecher's Handmade Cheese, Roth Cheese, Cabot Creamery, Sartori Cheese and Carr Valley Cheese. Broad incumbents are Murray's Cheese and Tillamook County Creamery Association.
Does Widmer’s Cheese Cellars have an API?
No public API is recorded for Widmer’s Cheese Cellars.
What industry is Widmer’s Cheese Cellars in?
Widmer’s Cheese Cellars's product category is Artisan Cheese Manufacturing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAHABAB, Ripened Natural Cheese Manufacturing (Semi-Soft, Hard & Blue), with a secondary code of AFAHABAH, Cheese Aging/Affineur Services (Maturation & Cave-Aging). Its NAICS code is 311513 and its SIC code is 2020.