Pilgrims Choice

What Pilgrims Choice does

Pilgrims Choice is a UK cheese brand specialising in cheddar products, established in 1985 and operated by Ornua Foods UK Limited, a subsidiary of the Irish dairy cooperative Ornua Co-operative Limited. The brand's headquarters and customer services operation are based in Leek, Staffordshire. Its product portfolio spans core aged cheddar varieties (Extra Mature, Mature, Vintage) in block, sliced, and grated formats; a Lighter range with 30% less fat; cuisine-inspired flavoured variants (American Hot Honey, Mexican Smoky Paprika, Italian Garlic and Herb, British Caramelised Onion); and Dip and Dunk snack pots pairing cheese with accompaniments such as roasted red pepper and mango chutney. All products are suitable for vegetarians, and aged variants feature calcium lactate crystals that the brand uses to signal authentic, complex flavour.

The company operates a wholesale-led, retail-distributed business model, selling through UK supermarket chains across multiple formats rather than transacting directly to consumers through its own website. Brand marketing is centred on bold flavour positioning, supported by a content library of over 90 recipes spanning multiple cuisines and an active presence on Instagram and TikTok to drive engagement and usage occasions. The brand reports 11-50 employees, indicating that the operating footprint reflects brand management rather than full production, which sits within the broader Ornua group's dairy supply and manufacturing infrastructure.

Revenue is generated entirely through cheese product sales at retail; pricing is set by individual retailers and is not publicly disclosed by the brand. No M&A, funding rounds, leadership changes, or geographic expansion beyond the United Kingdom are evidenced in the available source material. The company is privately held within the Ornua cooperative structure, with no external venture or private equity investment disclosed.

Name

Pilgrims Choice

Legal name

Ornua Foods UK Limited

Website

https://pilgrimschoice.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Pilgrims Choice is a UK cheddar cheese brand operating under Ornua Foods UK Limited, selling aged and flavoured cheddar products in block, sliced, grated, and snack-pot formats through UK retail supermarkets. It targets general retail consumers with bold-flavour positioning and an extensive recipe content strategy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Leek

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Cheese Product Sales: Pilgrims Choice generates revenue through the sale of cheddar cheese products across multiple formats including whole blocks, sliced, grated, and snack pot varieties. Revenue is derived from retail supermarket sales and direct-to-consumer website inquiries.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Pilgrims Choice is a UK cheddar cheese brand selling aged, flavoured, and lighter cheddar products in whole blocks, sliced, grated, and dip-and-dunk snack pot formats to retail consumers through UK supermarkets. The portfolio spans Mature, Extra Mature, and Vintage cheddars, internationally-inspired flavoured variants (American Hot Honey, Mexican Smoky Paprika, Italian Garlic & Herb, Caramelised Onion), a 30%-less-fat Lighter range, and accompaniments such as roasted red pepper and mango chutney snack pots.

Product overview

Pilgrims Choice is a consumer food brand specializing in cheddar and cheese products. The product portfolio includes a range of core cheddar varieties (Extra Mature, Mature, Vintage) available in multiple formats (whole blocks, grated, sliced), lighter/fat-reduced options (Lighter Extra Mature, Lighter Mature with 30% less fat), and flavoured specialty cheeses (Caramelised Onion, Hot Honey American, Smoky Paprika Mexican, Garlic and Herb Italian). Additionally, the brand offers Dip and Dunk snack pots featuring cheese paired with accompaniments like roasted red peppers and mango chutney. All products are suitable for vegetarians.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cheddar Dip and Dunk Roasted with Red Pepper

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Cathedral City: UK's leading branded cheddar (owned by Saputo Inc. since 2019), selling mature/extra mature/vintage cheddar blocks, slices and grated through the same UK supermarket channel as Pilgrims Choice. Most directly comparable on product format, target consumer, and UK grocery distribution.
• Seriously Strong Cheddar: Mature cheddar brand owned by Lactalis (acquired from Arla in 2017) competing directly in UK retail cheddar with a flavor-forward, bold-taste positioning nearly identical to Pilgrims Choice. Highly comparable on consumer target, price tier, and supermarket channel.
• Wyke Farms: Independent UK cheddar producer selling Vintage, Mature, Extra Mature, and flavored cheddar blocks and slices through UK supermarkets including own-brand supply. Comparable on UK cheddar range, family/regional heritage brand positioning, and supermarket channel.
• Applewood Cheese: UK smoked and flavored cheddar brand (owned by Norseland), selling through UK supermarkets in sliced and block formats. Closely comparable on flavored cheddar innovation strategy and identical retail channels to Pilgrims Choice.
• Davidstow Cheddar: Premium UK cheddar brand from Saputo's Cornwall-based creamery, selling Extra Mature and Vintage cheddar through UK supermarkets. Comparable on aged-vintage cheddar positioning, calcium-lactate-crystal premium cues, and UK grocery channel.
• Kerrygold: Irish dairy brand owned by Pilgrims Choice's parent Ornua Co-operative, selling butter, cheese, and cream through UK supermarkets. Sister-brand within the same Ornua portfolio, fully comparable on UK retail distribution model, premium Irish dairy positioning, and ownership/financial structure.
• Ilchester Cheese: UK-based flavored and specialty cheese brand (owned by the Norseland/Saputo group), selling through UK supermarkets in sliced, grated, and snacking formats. Comparable on flavored specialty cheese SKU strategy and identical supermarket channel.

Broad incumbents

• Lactalis UK & Ireland: Subsidiary of the world's largest dairy company Lactalis (Galbani, Président, Seriously), with a broad UK cheese and dairy portfolio across retail and foodservice. Comparable as a much larger established player in the same UK grocery cheese category with overlapping retail cheddar SKUs.
• Arla Foods: Major European dairy cooperative and owner of former UK brands including Lurpak and Castello, selling cheese and dairy through UK supermarkets. Comparable as a large cooperative competitor with overlapping UK cheese range and supermarket distribution scale.
• Bel Group UK: Global cheese snacking company (The Laughing Cow, Babybel, Boursin), with a growing UK presence in portioned cheese snacks. Comparable on cheese-snacking format innovation (overlap with Pilgrims Choice Dip & Dunk pots) and UK grocery channel presence.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/pilgrimschoice
• TikToktiktok.com/@pilgrimschoice
• Xx.com/PilgrimsChoice
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/north-downs-dairy-company-limited

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Pilgrims Choice