Hill Valley Dairy

What Hill Valley Dairy does

Hill Valley Dairy is a privately held, family-owned artisan cheesemaker founded in July 2016 by Ron and Josie Henningfeld in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. The company produces small-batch cheddars, goudas, alpine-style cheeses, and fresh cheese curds using milk sourced exclusively from its affiliated family farm, Romari Farms in East Troy, WI (founded 1942, operating with a 65-cow milking herd). Weekly production consumes approximately 500 gallons of farm-fresh milk delivered each Monday through traditional methods including pasteurization, cheese culture addition, harp cutting, whey separation, and natural cave aging for select alpine-style wheels.

The business operates across multiple revenue streams. Direct-to-consumer cheese is sold via a Shopify-powered e-commerce storefront (shipping domestically except May–October), two owned retail locations — the Milwaukee Cheese Bar and Cheese Factory at 138 W Bruce Street and the Lake Geneva Cheese Shop at 512 Broad Street — plus farmers markets and regional restaurant and wine bar partners such as Cavelier Wine Bar and Lake Geneva Country Meats. A monthly Cheese Club subscription box launched in March 2024 adds a recurring revenue layer. Adjacent experiential revenue comes from cheese-bar F&B (craft cocktails, wines, cheese plates and flights) and ticketed events (wine and cheese pairings at $35, art nights at $75).

The customer base is primarily individual cheese consumers in southeastern Wisconsin seeking premium, locally made cheeses, with secondary segments of local restaurants and shops and hospitality/experience seekers visiting the cheese bars. Pricing is unit-based ($8–$12 per 6–12oz cheese, $50–$60 curated sampler packages), with ticketed events as ancillary revenue. The business is bootstrapped with no disclosed external equity investors; non-dilutive support includes a Dairy Business Innovation Alliance grant (2022) and a $100,000 award from the Center for Dairy Research (June 2023). Strategic differentiation rests on vertically integrated single-farm provenance, talent (Ron's UW-Madison training and Culture Magazine 2026 Hot List recognition), and competitive placements including 3rd at the 2024 American Cheese Society Championship and multiple 2022 World Cheese Championship finishes.

Name

Hill Valley Dairy

Legal name

Hill Valley Dairy LLC

Website

https://hillvalleydairy.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hill Valley Dairy is a family-owned, small-batch artisan cheesemaker in southeastern Wisconsin producing cheddars, goudas, alpine-style cheeses, and cheese curds from its family farm's milk, selling direct-to-consumer via e-commerce, two retail cheese bars, subscriptions, and ticketed events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Lake Geneva

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Cheese Product Sales: Direct-to-consumer sales of artisanal cheeses including Cheddars, Goudas, Alpine styles, and Cheese Curds through e-commerce and retail locations. Products range from individual 8oz blocks to curated sampling packages.
2. On-site Food and Beverage: Revenue from the Milwaukee Cheese Bar offering curated cocktails, wines, craft beers paired with artisanal cheeses. Also includes cheese plates, flights, and boards for sharing.
3. Event Hosting: Ticketed events including wine and cheese pairing sessions, art nights, and private event bookings generating $35-$75 per ticket.
4. Cheese Club Subscription: Monthly subscription box service delivering curated cheese selections to subscribers, with pickup locations at the factory in Milwaukee and East Troy area.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Hill Valley Dairy is a small-batch artisan Wisconsin cheese producer that manufactures specialty cheeses (Cheddars, Goudas, Alpine styles, fresh Cheese Curds) using milk from their family farm Romari Farms in East Troy, WI. The company operates an e-commerce store, two physical retail and cheese bar locations (Milwaukee and Lake Geneva), a monthly Cheese Club subscription, and ticketed tasting events.

Product overview

Hill Valley Dairy is a small-batch artisan Wisconsin cheese company founded in July 2016 by Ron and Josie Henningfeld. The company operates as a single unified offering centered around handcrafted artisanal cheeses made with milk from their family farm (Romari Farms in East Troy, WI). The product portfolio spans four main cheese categories: Cheddars (including Mild, Medium, Sharp, 5-year aged, and flavored varieties like Black Pepper, Garlic Dill, Habanero, Red Wine, Tomato Basil, Whiskey, and Scorpion), Goudas (plain, Bacon, and Whiskey), Alpine-style cheeses (Naked, Shallot and Herb, Red Wine, Ancho Chili), and fresh Cheese Curds. Additionally, the company offers curated sampler packages (The Originals, The Savoury Companion, The Socialite) and operates two physical locations: a Milwaukee Cheese Bar with cocktails and viewing windows into production, and a Lake Geneva cheese shop. The cheese-making process uses pasteurized milk with non-animal rennet enzymes derived from microbes, producing 500 gallons of milk into cheese batches on Monday mornings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 5 yr Cheddar Aged cheddar cheese made with milk from the family farm, aged for 5 years to deliver a sweet and creamy taste with sharp characteristics; sold as a 6oz block to individual consumers.
• Alina Cave-aged natural rind alpine style cheese with light, semi-sweet yet oak-y flavor; 3rd place at 2024 American Cheese Society Championship and 4th place at 2022 World Cheese Championships; sold as a 5.3oz block.
• Ancho Chili Alpine Alpine style cheese with a Coffee Ancho Chili rub on the rind for savory flavor; sold as a 6oz block.
• Bacon Gouda Collaborative gouda cheese co-developed with Lake Geneva Country Meats, featuring high quality bacon in various sizes and seasonings; sold as an 8oz block.
• Black Pepper Cheddar Strong cheddar made with freshly ground black pepper, suitable for snacking or melting; sold as an 8oz block.
• Garlic Dill Cheddar Popular flavored cheddar with sweet grassy dill notes and soft buttery garlic flavor; sold as an 8oz block.
• Gouda Creamy, slightly nutty gouda showcasing the sweetness of high quality milk; one of the company's top sellers; sold as an 8oz block.
• Habanero Cheddar Medium cheddar packed with habanero spice, delivering spicy and sweet pepper flavor; sold as an 8oz block.
• Luna

Quantifiable outcome

• 3rd place at 2024 American Cheese Society Championship for Alina cheese
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• BacardiminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 28 June 2025Featured spirits partner for Christmas in July pop-up event at the cheese bar, supplying rum for tropical-themed cocktails.
• Liquid Death Sparkling Waters and TeaminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 28 June 2025Non-alcoholic beverage partner for Christmas in July pop-up event featuring tropical-themed mocktails.
• Holey MackerelminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 20 March 2025Milwaukee bar hosting Daiquiri Brawl event with Milwaukee bartenders and Hill Valley Dairy cheese pairings.
• Lake Geneva Country MeatscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing collaboration partner supplying high-quality bacon for the Bacon Gouda cheese. Also collaborated on Whiskey Gouda development using their brother-in-law's distilling expertise. Nick Vorpagel represents the business in these partnerships.
• Cavelier Wine BarminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPort Washington wine bar hosting regular tasting events featuring Hill Valley Dairy cheeses with their wine selection.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Roth Cheese: Monroe, Wisconsin-based artisan cheesemaker known for alpine-style and Grand Cru-style cheeses. Direct comparable on cave-aged alpine styles and award-positioned Wisconsin cheese portfolio.
• Sartori Cheese: Plymouth, Wisconsin-based artisan and specialty cheese maker producing cheddars, goudas, and Italian-style cheeses at significantly larger scale. Comparable as a Wisconsin-rooted brand competing for the same premium-Whiskey-Cheddar-and-Gouda buyer.
• Widmer's Cheese Cellars: Theresa, Wisconsin third-generation cheesemaker producing aged cheddars, brick, and traditional Wisconsin varieties. Comparable multi-generational Wisconsin cheddar specialist.
• BelGioioso Cheese: Green Bay-based specialty Italian-style cheesemaker with broad retail distribution. Comparable as a Wisconsin heritage cheesemaker competing in the same specialty cheese retail and foodservice channels.
• Landmark Creamery: Dodgeville, Wisconsin artisan cheesemaker producing alpine-style and flavored cheeses with on-site retail. Comparable small-batch Wisconsin alpine and flavored-cheese portfolio.
• Cedar Grove Cheese: Plain, Wisconsin small-batch artisan cheesemaker with a deep flavored-cheese portfolio and farmstead roots. Comparable Wisconsin artisan producer with overlapping flavored-cheese and farm-to-table positioning.
• LaClare Family Creamery: Malone, Wisconsin family-run creamery producing artisan cheeses from their own goat and cow herd. Direct comparable as a family-farm-to-cheese Wisconsin brand with on-site retail and tasting experiences.
• Hook's Cheese: Mineral Point, Wisconsin small-batch cheesemaker famous for aged cheddars including 10- and 12-year varieties. Comparable small-batch Wisconsin cheddar specialist competing for the same premium aged-cheese buyer.
• Uplands Cheese: Dodgeville, Wisconsin farmstead cheesemaker producing Pleasant Ridge Reserve, one of the most awarded American cheeses. Comparable farmstead Wisconsin producer competing on cave-aged natural-rind alpine-style cheeses.
• Carr Valley Cheese: LaValle, Wisconsin family-run cheesemaker with a deep flavored-cheese portfolio including cheddars, goudas, and cave-aged varieties. Comparable multi-generational Wisconsin producer with overlapping flavored-cheese SKU strategy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/HillValleyDairy
• Instagraminstagram.com/hillvalleydairy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hill-valley-dairy-llc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

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 Hill Valley Dairy