Beecher's Handmade Cheese

Artisan Cheesebeechershandmadecheese.com

Beecher's Handmade Cheese is a Seattle-based artisan cheesemaker and prepared-foods producer founded in 2003, selling award-winning Flagship cheeses, frozen mac and cheese, soups, and crackers through 12 cafes, nationwide grocery retail, and a 30+ distributor wholesale network.

Company typePrivate
Founded2003
HeadquartersSeattle, United States
Headcount251–500
GTM typeB2C
OfferingHardware or Manufacturing

What Beecher's Handmade Cheese does

Beecher's Handmade Cheese is a Seattle-based artisan cheesemaker and prepared-foods producer founded in 2003 by Kurt Beecher Dammeier, operating as a subsidiary of the Sugar Mountain holding company under the legal entity Sugar Mountain Online, LLC. The company produces handcrafted cow's milk cheeses — most notably the Flagship line (Flagship, Flagship Reserve clothbound, Extra Aged, Smoked) — alongside jack, flavored, and sheep's milk varieties (Just Jack, Marco Polo, Hatch Jack, Flagsheep, Garlic Noir, Dulcet), using traditional methods such as 14-16% moisture-loss clothbound aging for Flagship Reserve, fresh local milk without rBST, and no artificial preservatives.

The company's product portfolio extends well beyond cheese into a frozen prepared-foods line anchored by the award-winning 'World's Best' Mac & Cheese, plus Baked Ziti, Lasagna, Cacio e Pepe, Pasta Bolognese, several soups (Tomato Cheddar, Broccoli Cheddar, Red Lentil, Pork Verde, Smoky Cauliflower Bisque, Chicken & Vegetable), and artisan crackers (Original, Flagship Cheese, Honey Oat). Beecher's monetizes through four channels: company-owned cafes (12 locations including Pike Place Market, Bellevue, Overlake, Paine Field, and 8 US airport concourses), nationwide grocery retail in freezer and deli sections, online retail (own site plus Murray's Cheese), and a wholesale distribution network of 30+ distributors across Continental US, Alaska, and Hawaii (including UNFI, Sysco, Chef's Warehouse). Customers are primarily individual consumers — food enthusiasts, Pike Place tourists, and airport travelers — with secondary B2B exposure to grocers, restaurants, and distributors. The company is currently investing in a new cheese-making facility in Shullsburg, Wisconsin (announced July 2026, planned reopen November 2026), its first new manufacturing site since closing its NYC location in 2023.

Beecher's Handmade Cheese firmographics

Firmographics

Name: Beecher's Handmade Cheese
Legal name: Sugar Mountain Online, LLC
Website: https://beechershandmadecheese.com
Company type: Private
Founded year: 2003
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 251–500 employees
Short description: Beecher's Handmade Cheese is a Seattle-based artisan cheesemaker and prepared-foods producer founded in 2003, selling award-winning Flagship cheeses, frozen mac and cheese, soups, and crackers through 12 cafes, nationwide grocery retail, and a 30+ distributor wholesale network.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

Beecher's Handmade Cheese industry classification

Industry

Product category: Artisan Cheese
NAICS: Cheese Manufacturing (311513), Cookie and Cracker Manufacturing (311821), Frozen Food Manufacturing (31141)
SIC: Food And Kindred Products (2000), Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090), Cookies & Crackers (2052)
akta.pro primary industry: Cheese Packaging & Portioning (Retail Packs, Snack Packs, Singles) (AFAHABAI)
akta.pro secondary industries: Crackers & Savory Biscuits Manufacturing (AFAKAIAJ), Grated, Shredded & Sliced Cheese Manufacturing (Value-Added Cuts) (AFAHABAF)

Keywords

Artisan cheese making
Frozen prepared foods
Wholesale cheese distribution
Specialty cheese retail
Cheese cafe dining

Where Beecher's Handmade Cheese is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Seattle
HQ country: United States
HQ region: North America

Offices11 records

Markets served

Beecher's Handmade Cheese business model

Business model

GTM type: B2C
Offering type: Hardware or Manufacturing
Cost components: Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

Cafe Sales: Company-owned cafes serve prepared foods including World Best Mac & Cheese, grilled cheese sandwiches, soups, and artisan cheese counter sales. Dine-in and takeout available at Pike Place Market, Bellevue, Overlake, and airport locations.
Retail Grocery Products: Frozen entrees, side dishes, soups, and crackers sold through grocery store freezers and deli sections nationwide. Products include Mac & Cheese, Baked Ziti, Lasagna, and various soups.
Artisan Cheese Retail: Award-winning cheeses sold by weight at cafes, grocery stores, and through Murray's Cheese online. Flagship, Flagship Reserve, Just Jack, and specialty varieties.
Wholesale Distribution: Bulk cheese and prepared food products sold to retailers, restaurants, and distributors through wholesale network covering Continental US, Alaska, and Hawaii.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Beecher's Handmade Cheese product offering

Product offering

Core offering

Beecher's Handmade Cheese is an artisan cheesemaker founded in 2003 that produces handcrafted cheese varieties, frozen prepared foods (including the signature "World's Best" Mac & Cheese), soups, and crackers. The company operates 12 cafe locations across Seattle and major US airports, sells products through nationwide grocery retailers and wholesale distributors, and uses glass-walled cheesemaking kitchens that allow customers to witness the production process firsthand.

Product overview

Beecher's Handmade Cheese is a Seattle-based artisan cheesemaker offering a diverse portfolio of handcrafted cheese products and frozen prepared foods. The core product line centers on Flagship Cheese and its variants (Flagship Reserve, Extra Aged Flagship, Smoked Flagship), complemented by specialty cheeses like Garlic Noir, Just Jack, Marco Polo, and Hatch Jack. The prepared foods division features the flagship "World's Best" Mac & Cheese alongside Baked Ziti, Cheese Curd Lasagna, Cacio e Pepe, Pasta Bolognese, and various mac and cheese variations. The soup lineup includes Tomato Cheddar Soup, Broccoli Cheddar Soup, and specialty bisques. The cracker portfolio includes Original, Flagship Cheese, and Honey Oat crackers, plus gluten-free varieties. All products emphasize real ingredients free of artificial preservatives, with milk sourced from cows not treated with rBST.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

Flagship Cheese

Quantifiable outcome

Best of Show at American Cheese Society (2022), highest honor for American artisan cheeses
+2 more outcomes

Companies that use Beecher's Handmade Cheese

Customer profile

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Beecher's Handmade Cheese technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Beecher's Handmade Cheese partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

Murray's CheesecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMurray's Cheese is an authorized online retailer for Beecher's cheese products including Flagship Cheese, Flagship Reserve, Just Jack, Flagship Cheese Sticks, Just Jack Cheese Sticks, and various cheese curd products. Products available for online purchase through Murray's website.
UNFI (United Natural Foods)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNationwide frozen food distributor covering Continental US, Alaska, and Hawaii. Part of Beecher's wholesale distribution network.
Sysco Seattle Inc.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional cheese and frozen food distributor serving Pacific Northwest. Part of Beecher's wholesale distribution network.
Chef's WarehousecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSpecialty food distributor serving Las Vegas, NV; Miami, FL; Portland, OR; San Francisco, CA; and Washington, DC. Part of Beecher's wholesale distribution network.
Caffe VitaminorOthersCaffe Vita coffee is served within Beecher's cafe locations. At Overlake location, Caffe Vita coffee drinks are offered alongside Beecher's food menu.
Paine Field AirportminorOthersBeecher's cafe located within Paine Field Passenger Terminal, offering food and artisan cheese to travelers.
Sugar MountaincoreOthersSugar Mountain Online LLC is the parent company of Beecher's Handmade Cheese. Also operates The Beecher's Foundation, which receives donations from a portion of all Beecher's sales.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Beecher's Handmade Cheese competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Direct peers

Rogue Creamery: Oregon-based artisan cheesemaker known for award-winning blue and cheddar-style cheeses. Directly comparable to Beecher's on craft-positioning, ACS competition wins, and Pacific Northwest origin.
Jasper Hill Farm: Vermont-based artisan cheese producer with flagship clothbound cheddar and cave-aging operations. Comparable to Beecher's Flagship Reserve on premium clothbound aging expertise and ACS accolades.
Tillamook: Oregon farmer-owned dairy brand with broad cheese, ice cream, and prepared-food portfolio. Closely comparable to Beecher's on Pacific Northwest dairy heritage, premium positioning, and nationwide grocery/wholesale distribution.
Cypress Grove: Specialty cheese maker famous for Humboldt Fog and other premium goat cheeses. Comparable to Beecher's on small-batch artisan cheesemaking and nationwide specialty retail/wholesale footprint.
Cabot Creamery: Vermont farmer-owned cooperative producing award-winning cheddar and other cheeses with strong foodservice and retail presence. Comparable on clothbound cheddar pedigree and broad distribution.
Roth Cheese: Wisconsin-based specialty cheese maker producing Grand Cru, Alpine-style, and aged cheddars. Comparable to Beecher's on Wisconsin manufacturing, clothbound/specialty cheesemaking, and national retail presence.
Vermont Creamery: Small-batch artisan dairy producing cheeses and butters with clean-label positioning. Directly comparable to Beecher's on premium small-batch craft dairy and clean-ingredient brand story.
Annie's Homegrown (General Mills): Premium/natural Mac & Cheese and prepared-pasta brand now owned by General Mills. The most direct head-to-head competitor in the premium frozen Mac & Cheese category where Beecher's 'World's Best' competes.

Broad incumbents

Sargento Foods: Large-scale Wisconsin cheese manufacturer with mass-market shredded/snack cheese lines. Comparable to Beecher's on US cheese footprint but at much larger scale and broader retail penetration.
Murray's Cheese: Iconic NYC cheese retailer and distributor that is already an authorized Beecher's online partner. Comparable as a specialty cheese curating/distributing brand with direct consumer and wholesale reach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Beecher's Handmade Cheese financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Beecher's Handmade Cheese leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Beecher's Handmade Cheese funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

Beecher's Handmade Cheese M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Beecher's Handmade Cheese

What does Beecher's Handmade Cheese do?

Is Beecher's Handmade Cheese a public or private company?

Beecher's Handmade Cheese is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.

When was Beecher's Handmade Cheese founded?

Beecher's Handmade Cheese was founded in 2003. It employs 251 to 500 people.

Where is Beecher's Handmade Cheese based?

Beecher's Handmade Cheese is headquartered in Seattle, United States, in the North America region.

How does Beecher's Handmade Cheese make money?

Four revenue lines are on record. Cafe Sales are the primary driver. The others are retail Grocery Products, artisan Cheese Retail and wholesale Distribution.

Who are Beecher's Handmade Cheese's main competitors?

Direct peers on record are Rogue Creamery, Jasper Hill Farm, Tillamook, Cypress Grove, Cabot Creamery, Roth Cheese, Vermont Creamery and Annie's Homegrown (General Mills). Broad incumbents are Sargento Foods and Murray's Cheese.

Does Beecher's Handmade Cheese have an API?

No public API is recorded for Beecher's Handmade Cheese.

What industry is Beecher's Handmade Cheese in?

Beecher's Handmade Cheese's product category is Artisan Cheese. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAHABAI, Cheese Packaging & Portioning (Retail Packs, Snack Packs, Singles), with a secondary code of AFAKAIAJ, Crackers & Savory Biscuits Manufacturing. Its NAICS code is 311513 and its SIC code is 2000.