Fromage Ermitage

What Fromage Ermitage does

Fromage Ermitage (legal entity: FROMAGERIE DE L'ERMITAGE) is an independent French dairy cooperative founded in 1931 by 211 milk producers in Bulgnéville, Vosges. The cooperative collects milk from approximately 1,000 producer-members across the Grand-Est and Bourgogne Franche-Comté regions and employs nearly 1,000 collaborators across nine production and aging sites. It produces a portfolio of roughly fifteen cheese products organized into AOP/PDO and Label Rouge certified lines (Munster, Comté, Mont d'Or, Morbier, Raclette Label Rouge, Emmental Grand Cru), regional cheeses (Brie, Camembert Royal, Carré de l'Est, Lingot d'Or, Marcaire des Vosges, Racly, Tome du Lomont, Fleur des Sources, Brouère, Emmental), and convenience formats (Tartiflette cheese, From'Chaud ready-to-eat meal cheese). Multiple sites hold IFS V7 (higher level, unannounced) and BRC V8 (Grade A+ and AA+, unannounced) certifications, with a Bureau Veritas-monitored GMO-free feed program enforcing a <0.9% threshold across the producer base.

The business model is a one-time product-sale model in branded CPG cheese, sold primarily through retail supermarket self-service (Libre-Service) sections in formats from 125g to 1.5kg wheels, with secondary channels in food service to professional chefs (including a sponsorship-style relationship with the Association of Master Chefs of France) and direct cooperative sales via the company website. Pricing is set by retail markets and is not publicly disclosed. A loyalty point-collection program — where consumers redeem packaging stickers from Munster 200g, Tartiflette Originale, Tartiflette de Caractère, and Tartiflette Forestière against gifts such as gratin dishes, cheese boards, cooler bags, and merchandise — drives repeat purchase and consumer engagement. Marketing is multi-channel: recipe website, newsletter ("Newslettermitage"), #Ermitage community, and presence at trade shows (ANUGA, Salon International de l'Agriculture, Trail des Terroirs). The company is led by Rémy Benoît, Président de la coopérative.

Ownership is a one-member-one-vote cooperative governance structure with ~1,000 producer-members who supply milk and elect a Board of Directors. The company received a 2015 investment from Unigrains, a French specialist agri-food investor, and in November 2025 signed an "Eau et Climat" industrial contract with Agence de l'Eau Rhin-Meuse. The cooperative has won recurring recognition at Concours Général Agricole (8 medals in 2026; gold and silver in 2024), Lyon International Competition (gold in 2025, silver in 2021), and Concours de Fromonval (7 medals in 2025), and reports a professional gender equality index score of 88/100. Revenue, financial results, and headcount trend are not publicly disclosed.

Name

Fromage Ermitage

Legal name

FROMAGERIE DE L'ERMITAGE

Website

https://ermitage.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1931

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Fromage Ermitage is an independent French dairy cooperative founded in 1931, producing regional AOP and Label Rouge cheeses for French retail, food service, and consumer markets via 9 production sites and ~1,000 milk-producer members.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Dairy Cheese Production

NAICS

Cheese Manufacturing (311513)

SIC

Dairy Products (2020)

akta.pro primary industry

Cheese Manufacturing (AFAKAKAB)

Keywords

• French cheese production
• AOP certified cheeses
• Dairy cooperative
• Regional cheeses
• Raclette and tartiflette

Headquarters

HQ city

Bulgnéville

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Cheese product sales: Direct sales of cheese products through retail supermarket channels. Products include Munster, Comté, Mont d'Or, Morbier, Raclette, Emmental, Tartiflette, Brie, Camembert, and specialty cheeses sold in various formats from 125g to multi-kilogram wheels.
2. Point collection loyalty program: Collector points program where consumers collect points from cheese packaging stickers (Munster 200g, Tartiflette Originale, Tartiflette de Caractère, Tartiflette Forestière) to redeem for promotional items including kitchenware, merchandise, and gifts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Fromage Ermitage produces and sells a comprehensive range of French regional cheeses, including AOP/PDO-certified varieties (Munster, Comté, Mont d'Or, Morbier, Emmental Grand Cru), Label Rouge raclette, regional soft cheeses (Brie, Camembert Royal, Carré de l'Est, Lingot d'Or, Marcaire des Vosges, Racly, Fleur des Sources, Brouère), tartiflette cheese, and an innovative ready-to-eat meal format (From'Chaud). The cooperative collects milk from approximately 1,000 producer-members in the Grand-Est and Bourgogne Franche-Comté regions and transforms it at nine production and aging sites, distributing primarily through French supermarket self-service sections.

Product overview

Fromage Ermitage is an independent dairy cooperative established in 1931 that produces and sells a comprehensive range of French cheeses. The product portfolio centers on mountain and regional cheeses from Eastern France (Grand Est and Bourgogne Franche-Comté), organized into three main categories: (1) Cheeses with quality seals including AOP/AOC certified varieties like Munster, Comté, Mont d'Or, Morbier, Emmental Grand Cru Label Rouge, and Raclette Label Rouge; (2) Regional cheeses such as Emmental, Brie, Camembert Royal, Carré de l'Est, Lingot d'Or, Marcaire des Vosges, Racly, Tome du Lomont, and Fleur des Sources; and (3) Easy/convenience cheeses including Tartiflette cheese, From'Chaud (ready-to-eat meal format), and various raclette varieties. The company collects milk from approximately 1,000 producers and operates 9 production and aging sites across the Vosges and Franche-Comté regions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Emmental A mild, melting cheese aged for 6 weeks with an authentic milk taste, suitable for both hot and cold preparations such as cheese boards, salads, wraps, pizzas, and gratins.
• Morbier AOP AOP cheese with smooth, creamy texture and fruity, milky flavors, distinguished by its characteristic black ash line separating morning and evening milk layers.
• Munster Soft cheese with creamy paste and orange rind, produced in the Vosges since the 7th century, available in various formats including versions with cumin.
• Raclette Melting raclette cheese produced in Franche-Comté and aged on spruce boards, available in 6 varieties including nature, smoked, with porcini, chili, truffle, and raw milk versions, packaged in 200g and 350g trays.
• Marcaire des Vosges Mild and soft cheese with a smooth texture and tender-creamy taste, an authentic Vosges cheese named after the cowherds who grazed their herds in the mountains.
• From'Chaud Ready-to-eat meal-format cheese innovation that can be cooked in oven or microwave and consumed directly from the container with bread, potatoes, or vegetables, available in 500g (4 persons), 200g (2 persons), and 125g (1 person) sizes.
• Racly Ultra-soft cheese specialty refined specifically for raclette dishes, with a creamy texture and light taste, also suitable for gratins, cakes, and bruschetta.
• Brie French soft cheese available in mini format, suitable for various recipes including panna cotta, sandwiches, and desserts.
• Fleur des Sources Versatile cheese product featured in gourmet recipes such as avocado toast with poached eggs, suited to fine-dining and chef congress events.
• Camembert Royal Camembert cheese with character, part of the Ermitage cheese range.
• Mont d'Or Award-winning AOP cheese with hazelnut taste and woody flavors imparted by spruce bark wrapping.
• Comté AOP cheese produced in the Franche-Comté region, awarded gold medals at the Concours International de Lyon 2025.
• Lingot d'Or Traditional tasting soft and creamy cheese with orange rind.
• Carré de l'Est Supple and homogeneous textured cheese with fresh and tasty taste reflecting the richness of Grand Est pastures.
• Raclette Label Rouge Label Rouge certified raclette with a controlled production process ensuring safety and traceability.
• Tartiflette cheese Cheese designed specifically for tartiflette dishes, enhancing moments of pleasure and togetherness.
• Brouère Typical Vosges cheese for the whole family.

Quantifiable outcome

• 8 medals at Concours Général Agricole 2026
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 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

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Fromageries Marcel Petite: Specialty affineur/producer of Comté and Jura mountain cheeses based in Franche-Comté, the same region as much of Ermitage's production. Highly comparable terroir-driven AOP Comté portfolio and traditional aging model.
• Savencia Fromage & Dairy: France's largest specialty cheese company with a broad AOP and branded cheese portfolio (Caprice des Dieux, Saint Albray, etc.) sold through retail and foodservice in France and abroad. Directly comparable business model and channel mix to Ermitage but at national scale.
• Fromagerie de Rians: French specialty cheese producer with a broad portfolio of fresh, soft, and goat cheeses distributed through French retail. Comparable mid-sized French cheese manufacturer serving similar supermarket cheese aisles as Ermitage.
• Sodiaal (Entremont / RichesMonts / Candia): France's largest dairy cooperative, owner of Entremont and RichesMonts which produce Comté, Emmental, and other AOP/regional cheeses for retail and foodservice. Closely comparable cooperative structure, French raw-milk sourcing, and AOP cheese portfolio overlap with Ermitage.

Broad incumbents

• Bel Group: Global French-headquartered cheese company (La Vache qui rit, Babybel, Boursin, Kiri) with broad retail distribution and processed/portioned cheese formats. Comparable B2C retail cheese business but with much broader portfolio and international reach.
• Bongrain (now part of Savencia): Historically an independent French specialty cheese group (Saint Morêt, Tartare, Caprice des Dieux), now integrated into Savencia. Highly comparable French specialty-cheese heritage and retail-channel orientation.
• Lactalis: World's largest dairy company and a leading French cheese producer (President, Galbani, Leerdammer, Bel Paese). Overlaps with Ermitage in Emmental, raclette, and broader retail cheese categories but operates at vastly larger, multinational scale.

Regional players

• Comté Jura Monts (JuraMonts / Scheuermann-Denneler): Franche-Comté-based Comté producer with ripening expertise on spruce boards and AOP portfolio closely aligned with Ermitage's Franche-Comté manufacturing footprint. Same terroir and aging tradition; competes in identical AOP category.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/FromageErmitage

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

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 Fromage Ermitage