Kirschbaum
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1991
- HeadquartersBetzdorf, Germany
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
Kirschbaum firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Kirschbaum
- Legal name
- KIRSCHBAUM Käse - Feinkost - Präsente e.Kfr.
- Website
- https://kaese-kirschbaum.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1991
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Kirschbaum industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Specialty Cheese and Gourmet Delicatessen Retail
- NAICS
- Specialty Food Retailers (4452)
- SIC
- Dairy Products (2020)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cheese Shops & Fromageries (CRAHAGAD)
Keywords
Where Kirschbaum is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Betzdorf
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Kirschbaum business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Product Sales - Cheese & Delicatessen: Retail sale of premium cheeses (Swiss, French, German, Italian specialties), cured meats, oils, vinegars, chocolates, and specialty foods through online shop and physical store.
- Gift Baskets (Präsentkörbe): Curated gourmet gift baskets and packages sold at various price points (€59–€249), with themed selections including Italian, Truffle, Christmas, and Selection Kirschbaum collections. Customization available.
- Breakfast Service: On-site breakfast dining experience at the Betzdorf store offering multiple menu tiers from €14.90 to €32.90 per person.
- Catering & Events: Custom buffet catering for private events, corporate functions, and weddings featuring cheese, ham, salami, and antipasti platters.
- Weekly Market Sales: Direct-to-consumer sales at weekly farmers' markets across multiple German states (Hessen, NRW, Rhineland-Palatinate).
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Selection Kirschbaum cheeses (Bergkristall, Rahmkäse, etc.) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Gourmet Gift Baskets |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Breakfast Menu Items |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Domestic Shipping |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Kirschbaum product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Kirschbaum is a specialty food retailer that curates and sells premium artisanal cheeses (with proprietary Swiss private-label line Selection Kirschbaum), imported European cheeses, cured meats, gourmet delicatessen items, and curated gift baskets through its own e-commerce shop, a physical retail store in Betzdorf, weekly farmers' markets, and on-site breakfast and event catering services. The company develops its own cheese brand in collaboration with Swiss affineurs and ships temperature-controlled products nationwide and internationally via DHL.
Product overview
Kirschbaum is a German gourmet cheese and delicatessen e-commerce company operating both an online shop and physical retail locations. The product portfolio centers on the proprietary Selection Kirschbaum private-label Swiss cheese line (featuring Bergkristall, Henri's Bergwiesen, Katarina's Köstlicher, Lilly's Rahmkäse, Lotte's Feinwürziger, and Flori's Chäsli), complemented by a broad range of imported specialty cheeses (including French, Italian, and other European varieties), fine deli products, charcuterie, wines, specialty snacks like Corn Works popcorn, and curated gift baskets. The company also offers on-site breakfast dining, catering services for events, and operates weekly farmers markets across multiple German cities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Selection Kirschbaum: Private label cheese brand developed by Sonja Kirschbaum in collaboration with Swiss cheese affineurs. Includes cheeses named after family members: Bergkristall, Lilly's Rahmkäse, Lotte's Feinwürziger, Katarina's Köstlicher, Henri's Bergwiesen Käse, and Flori's Chäsli.
Products and services
- Selection Kirschbaum (Proprietary Swiss Cheese Line) Kirschbaum's proprietary private-label Swiss cheese line developed with Swiss cheese affineurs, featuring hand-selected cheeses from small Swiss village dairies with personalized care during aging. Includes named varieties such as Bergkristall, Lilly's Rahmkäse, Lotte's Feinwürziger, Katarina's Köstlicher, Henri's Bergwiesen, and Flori's Chäsli.
- Bergkristall (Swiss Hard Cheese) Swiss Bergkäse from the Selection Kirschbaum line, aged 17-18 months in rock cellars with hand care; tyrosine crystals indicate quality extended moist aging. Sold per 100g (€4.99/100g).
- Henri's Bergwiesen Käse (Swiss Organic Hard Cheese) Organic raw milk hard cheese from St. Gallen canton, part of the Selection Kirschbaum brand; rubbed daily with salt water and fine herbs and meadow flowers during multi-month aging. Sold per 100g (€4.09/100g).
- Katarina's Köstlicher Käse (Swiss Semi-Hard Cheese) Swiss semi-hard cheese from thermized raw cow milk, aged six months; described as very creamy and pleasantly savory. Part of the Selection Kirschbaum brand. Sold per 100g (€3.79/100g).
- Lilly's Rahmkäse (Swiss Cream Cheese) Cream cheese from the Alt-Toggenburg region made from fresh natural milk, aged 6 weeks with a naturally light brown rind and delicate, creamy-mild aroma; the first cheese of the Selection Kirschbaum line. Sold per 100g (€3.09/100g).
- Lotte's Feinwürziger Käse (Swiss Semi-Hard Cheese) Fine-spicy semi-hard cheese from Toggenburg, made from silage-free raw cow milk and aged for months in underground cheese cellars. Part of the Selection Kirschbaum brand. Sold per 100g (€3.59/100g).
- Brebis d'Argental (French Sheep Brie) Unique square-shaped Brie made from 100% sheep milk, featuring an ultrafiltration technique for very soft texture and consistent quality.
- Gorgonzola Dolce Cremoso DOP Tosi (Italian Blue Cheese) Creamy, mild, and well-balanced Gorgonzola with a tender melting dough tasting strongly of fresh cream, with an aftertaste of blue mold. Protected Designation of Origin (DOP) product.
- Cremeux des Alpes (Swiss Slicing Cheese) Signature cream cheese created in collaboration with Fromagerie Molson, made from mountain milk from Canton Freiburg and aged 5 months for a particularly creamy texture.
- Gourmet Gift Baskets (Präsentkörbe) Curated gourmet gift baskets including themed collections like Bella Italia, Trüffel total, Selection Kirschbaum, and Christmas collections, featuring cheese, charcuterie, wine, and delicatessen items. Prices range from €59 (Kleiner Schlemmerkorb) to €249 (top Christmas baskets). Customisation available for corporate and personal gifting.
- Corn Works Gourmet Popcorn Artisan self-baking popcorn kits including Asian Corn, BBQ Corn, Cheese Corn, Fruity Corn, Oriental Corn, and Salted Caramel varieties.
- Catering & Buffet Service Custom catering service providing freshly assembled cheese, ham, salami, and antipasti platters for private celebrations, weddings, and corporate functions.
- On-site Breakfast Service (Frühstück bei Kirschbaum) On-site breakfast dining experience at the Betzdorf flagship store, offering Französisches Frühstück, Kirschbaums Klassiker, Genießerfrühstück, Genießer 'Plus', Gourmetfrühstück, and Gourmet 'Plus' options with tiered pricing from €14.90 to €32.90 per person.
- Weekly Farmers' Market Sales Direct-to-consumer sales at weekly farmers' markets in Raubach (Tue), Gießen (Wed, Sat), Weilburg (bi-weekly Wed), Bad Laasphe (bi-weekly Wed), Wetzlar (Thu), Gladenbach (Thu), Gummersbach (bi-weekly Thu), Betzdorf (Fri), Grünberg (Fri), Herborn (Fri), Krofdberg (Fri), Biedenkopf (bi-weekly Fri), Bonn Bad Godesberg (Sat), Marburg (Sat), Siegen (Sat).
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 35 years of successful operation with national recognition as a top German cheese retailer
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Kirschbaum
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Kirschbaum technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature1 record
Kirschbaum partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- TOSI / FromiminorKirschbaum has been selected as a TOSI-Botschafter (TOSI Ambassador) by Fromi, a cheese distributor. The partnership involves promoting TOSI cheese products (including Gorgonzola Dolce Cremoso DOP) through Kirschbaum's channels, with the relationship described as mutually beneficial for product promotion.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Kirschbaum competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Dallmayr: Munich-based gourmet food retailer and caterer with delicatessen, restaurants and gift/hospitality offerings. Comparable as a heritage German gourmet brand combining retail, food service and premium gift hampers, though broader and more institutional than Kirschbaum.
- Käfer Feinkost: German gourmet retailer, caterer and event business with a flagship in Munich. Comparable in combining gourmet retail, catering/events and premium gift hampers at the high end of the German market, though significantly larger and more diversified than Kirschbaum.
- Manufactum: Established German premium lifestyle retailer with a broad assortment including gourmet foods, housewares and clothing. Comparable in DTC premium positioning, German national reach and catalogue-style curation, but operates across much wider categories than Kirschbaum's cheese/delicatessen focus.
- Alnatura: Germany's leading organic supermarket chain with broad assortment including a sizeable cheese and deli category. Comparable as a national premium-positioned food retailer in Germany, but competes on volume and assortment breadth rather than Kirschbaum's specialty curation.
Direct peers
- Fromi: French specialty cheese importer and distributor with retail presence across Europe. Direct partner of Kirschbaum as a TOSI-Botschafter, sharing the same French/Swiss artisanal cheese sourcing model and B2B/B2C hybrid distribution approach.
- Neal's Yard Dairy: London-based specialty cheese retailer and affineur focused on British and European farmhouse cheeses, with wholesale and direct sales. Closely mirrors Kirschbaum's model of small-producer sourcing, affineur curation and direct-to-consumer specialty cheese retail.
- Murray's Cheese: Iconic US specialty cheese retailer with retail stores, e-commerce and a wholesale/gastronomy arm. Comparable as a multi-channel premium cheese specialist with strong proprietary brand development, B2B supply to restaurants, and gift/hamper offerings.
- La Fromagerie: UK specialty cheese retailer with physical shops, online sales and cheese subscription/box offering. Directly comparable as a small, founder-led premium cheese specialist combining e-commerce, retail experience and curated cheese education.
- Vom Fass: German premium gourmet DTC retailer specialising in oils, vinegars, spirits and specialty foods via shop-in-shop and franchise model. Highly comparable in premium positioning, gift-basket/Präsentkorb focus, and German retail footprint to Kirschbaum.
Regional players
- Käserei Champignon: Bavarian specialty cheese manufacturer and brand (e.g., Camembert, Obazda, Bavarian Blue). Comparable as a German cheese specialist, but primarily a producer/wholesaler rather than a retailer; useful reference for category dynamics and B2B cheese supply chains relevant to Kirschbaum's gastronomy segment.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Kirschbaum social profiles
Digital presenceKirschbaum financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Kirschbaum leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Kirschbaum funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Kirschbaum 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 Kirschbaum
What does Kirschbaum do?
Kirschbaum is a specialty food retailer that curates and sells premium artisanal cheeses (with proprietary Swiss private-label line Selection Kirschbaum), imported European cheeses, cured meats, gourmet delicatessen items, and curated gift baskets through its own e-commerce shop, a physical retail store in Betzdorf, weekly farmers' markets, and on-site breakfast and event catering services. The company develops its own cheese brand in collaboration with Swiss affineurs and ships temperature-controlled products nationwide and internationally via DHL.
Is Kirschbaum a public or private company?
Kirschbaum is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Kirschbaum founded?
Kirschbaum was founded in 1991. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Kirschbaum based?
Kirschbaum is headquartered in Betzdorf, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Kirschbaum make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Product Sales - Cheese & Delicatessen is the primary driver. The others are gift Baskets (Präsentkörbe), breakfast Service, catering & Events and weekly Market Sales.
Who are Kirschbaum's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Dallmayr, Käfer Feinkost, Manufactum and Alnatura. Direct peers are Fromi, Neal's Yard Dairy, Murray's Cheese, La Fromagerie and Vom Fass. Käserei Champignon is listed as a regional player.
Does Kirschbaum have an API?
No public API is recorded for Kirschbaum.
What industry is Kirschbaum in?
Kirschbaum's product category is Specialty Cheese and Gourmet Delicatessen Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAHAGAD, Cheese Shops & Fromageries. Its NAICS code is 4452 and its SIC code is 2020.