The Dairy
De Zuivelarij BV (The Dairy) is a Belgian artisan dairy producer founded in 2014 that makes Mediterranean-style cheeses and yogurts — Berloumi grill cheese, labneh, ricotta, paneer, and cannoli — from milk sourced one-farm-per-product from local Belgian farmers, selling via its Berlare farm shop, nationwide Belgian retail chains, organic stores, and food-service accounts.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersBerlare, Belgium
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What The Dairy does
De Zuivelarij BV (commercial name The Dairy), founded in 2014 in Berlare, Belgium, is a privately held artisanal dairy producer specializing in lesser-known Mediterranean-style dairy products made from milk sourced one-farm-per-product from local Belgian farmers. Its portfolio comprises Berloumi (a halloumi-style grill cheese, also in Bio and goat-milk variants), Labneh (sheep's-milk strained yogurt, 60-hour linen-bag process), Ricotta made from Berloumi whey, Paneer (acid-coagulated), Cacioricotta (viVie), Sicilian-style fresh-ricotta Cannoli, and Zuivelarwei cheese whey sold for culinary and pig-feed use. Production takes place at a single facility in Berlare (Galgenbergstraat 54A), supported by a 30,000-liter whey tank emptied biweekly; the site holds IFS Progress food-safety certification (2025).
The business operates a hybrid go-to-market model. Direct-to-consumer revenue is generated through an on-site farm shop and webshop (pickup only — no delivery) selling unit-priced SKUs (€3–€30). Wholesale revenue is generated through nationwide listing in major Belgian grocery chains (Okay, Spar, Colruyt, Jumbo, Albert Heijn, Delhaize), the organic chain Bio-Planet, online resellers (Crisp, eFarmz), and meal-box services (Foodbag), plus direct supply to restaurants and food-service accounts. The company is led by founder/owner-cheesemaker David De Coster, with two additional staff (cheesemaker Delphine De Zutter and administration/invoicing lead Inge Bracquiné), and has received Province of East Flanders and VLIF grant funding for its Zuivelarwei circular-economy project rather than institutional capital. Stated forward intent is to grow within Belgium, invest in production technology, and professionalize the operation.
The Dairy firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Dairy
- Legal name
- De Zuivelarij BV
- Website
- https://dezuivelarij.be
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- De Zuivelarij BV (The Dairy) is a Belgian artisan dairy producer founded in 2014 that makes Mediterranean-style cheeses and yogurts — Berloumi grill cheese, labneh, ricotta, paneer, and cannoli — from milk sourced one-farm-per-product from local Belgian farmers, selling via its Berlare farm shop, nationwide Belgian retail chains, organic stores, and food-service accounts.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Dairy industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Artisanal Dairy Products
- NAICS
- Dairy Product (except Frozen) Manufacturing (31151), Cheese Manufacturing (311513), Dairy Product Manufacturing (3115)
- SIC
- Dairy Products (2020)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Fresh/Natural Cheese Manufacturing (Unripened & Soft) (AFAHABAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Labneh Manufacturing (AFAHADAE), Cheese Manufacturing (AFAKAKAB), Cheese (Natural & Processed) (CRADACAC)
Keywords
Where The Dairy is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Berlare
- HQ country
- Belgium
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Dairy business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Artisanal Mediterranean Cheese Products: Primary revenue from selling artisanal cheese and dairy products including Berloumi (grill cheese), Labneh, Ricotta, Paneer, Cacioricotta (viVie), Cannoli, and cheese whey. Products sold through direct retail, retail chains, food service, and the company's own web shop.
- Direct Consumer Sales: Online shop sales with customer pickup at the physical store location. Webshop functionality includes account creation, checkout, and various payment methods including Bancontact, card payments, bank transfer, and cash/payconic on pickup.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Berloumi 300 gram at €5.00 per unit |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Labneh 220 gram at €3.00 per unit |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Wei van de Zuivelarij 10 liter at €5.00 per unit |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Pistache Cannoli at €6.00 per unit |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Weidevogelwandeling at €30.00 per unit |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Organic and specialty variants (Berloumi Bio, Berloumi Geit, Ricotta Bio) |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
The Dairy product offering
Product offeringCore offering
De Zuivelarij is a Belgian artisanal dairy producer that manufactures Mediterranean-style specialty cheeses and dairy products from milk sourced from dedicated local farms. Their core product line includes Berloumi grill cheese, Labneh strained yogurt, Ricotta, Paneer, Cacioricotta (viVie), Sicilian Cannoli, and cheese whey (Zuivelarwei). Each product is made with milk from a single dedicated local farmer, emphasizing short supply chains and full traceability.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Berloumi: Belgian grill cheese - the company's signature grilled cheese product, available in regular, organic (Bio), and goat milk (Geit) varieties.
- Labneh
- Ricotta van Berloumi
- viVie
- Paneer
- Zuivelarwei
- Cannoli
Products and services
- Berloumi Grill Cheese Belgian grill cheese made from cow's milk sourced from local farmers; maintains shape when grilled making it ideal for barbecue and grilling applications. High protein content (18.9g/100g).
- Labneh Strained Yogurt Traditional Middle Eastern strained yogurt made from sheep's milk, drained in linen bags for 60 hours. Shelf life of at least 8 weeks. Suitable for lactose-intolerant consumers due to extended fermentation.
- Ricotta from Berloumi Ricotta cheese produced from cheese whey left over from Berloumi production, valorizing production byproducts into culinary ingredients.
- Paneer Fresh pressed Indian-style cheese made from whole milk using acid coagulation (heating to 90°C, cooling to 78°C, adding citric acid) rather than bacteria or enzymes, retaining whey proteins.
- Cacioricotta (viVie) Belgian-style cacioricotta whey cheese with specific production process combining elements of cheese and ricotta production methods.
- Cannoli Fresh Sicilian-style cannoli filled with fresh ricotta (not long-life ricotta) and pistachio. 5-day shelf life; pickup only on day of order for optimal crispiness.
- Zuivelarwei (Cheese Whey) Liquid whey remaining from cheese production, sold in 1-liter bottles to 10-liter containers for culinary use in bread, soups, and pasta. Most whey is supplied to pig farmers.
Quantifiable outcome
- Berloumi maintains shape when grilled, providing satisfying texture without melting
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use The Dairy
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
The Dairy technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
The Dairy partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and supporting.
- Annick & Koen (Koen & Annick)coreLocal dairy farmers in Berlaar supplying cow's milk for Berloumi grill cheese production. They own approximately 200 cows, with about 100 producing 28-31 liters of milk daily. They practice sustainable farming with solar panels, heat exchangers, and rainwater collection. The farm participates in antibiotic reduction programs.
- Leen & Gert (Gert & Leen)coreSheep farmers in Moorsel supplying sheep's milk for Labneh production. They have about 400 dairy sheep and 100 replacement animals. They milk Friesian and Lacaune dairy sheep breeds. Their farm is fully ground-based with circular manure management.
- Ann & PeterminorLocal farmers partnering with De Zuivelarij for dairy supply. Listed as one of the farmers on the company's website.
- Dirk & Karlien (Klaverhoeve)minorOrganic farmers (linked through Klaverhoeve) supplying milk for De Zuivelarij's organic product line. Visit klaverhoeting.be for more information.
- FoodbagsupportingBelgian meal box service that features De Zuivelarij's Paneer in their recipe boxes. Partnership provides exposure to health-conscious home cooks.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Dairy competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Bel Group: Global branded cheese company (Laughing Cow, Babybel, Leerdammer, Kiri) with deep retail penetration across Belgian and European supermarkets. Represents the incumbent competitive threat in the cheese shelf against which De Zuivelarij's Berloumi competes.
- Bongrain (Savencia Fromage & Dairy): French specialty cheese group producing a broad portfolio of branded artisanal and industrial cheeses for European retail. Overlaps with De Zuivelarij in specialty cheese category management and retailer relationships.
- Lactalis: World's largest dairy group (President, Galbani, Parmalat brands), with extensive cheese and dairy manufacturing and pan-European retail distribution. Represents the scale competitive ceiling that any Belgian artisanal cheese maker must navigate.
Emerging players
- Cypress Grove: US specialty cheese maker known for fresh goat cheeses and innovative formats including labneh-style and paneer-adjacent products. Comparable in specialty artisanal positioning and willingness to lead with non-traditional formats.
- Vermont Creamery: US artisanal creamery producing fresh cheeses, cultured butters, and labneh-style strained yogurt with strong foodservice and retail presence. Comparable as an artisanal dairy that scaled into mainstream retail while maintaining a craft identity.
- Karoun Dairies: US-based specialty dairy producing Mediterranean-style cheeses and labneh for retail and foodservice. Comparable in labneh product format, Mediterranean dairy specialization, and retail distribution of a specialty SKU.
Direct peers
- Bertyn: Belgian/Dutch artisanal cheese maker selling through retail chains, farm shops, and online channels with similar short-supply-chain storytelling. Closest Belgian/regional comparable in distribution model and premium positioning.
- Beillevaire: French artisanal dairy (butter, cheese, dairy specialties) with farm shops, retail presence, and a curated premium product range. Comparable in artisan positioning, multi-SKU specialty portfolio, and direct-to-consumer farm retail model.
- Fromagerie Berthaut: French artisanal affineur/cheesemaker producing Époisses and other specialty cheeses for retail and foodservice. Comparable in craft cheese manufacturing, retail distribution, and premium independent positioning.
- Henri Willig: Dutch family-owned artisanal cheese producer with farm shops, retail distribution across the Netherlands and Germany, and a similar premium short-supply-chain positioning. Closest direct comparable in business model and channel mix to De Zuivelarij.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Dairy social profiles
Digital presenceThe Dairy financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Dairy leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
The Dairy funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Dairy 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 The Dairy
What does The Dairy do?
De Zuivelarij is a Belgian artisanal dairy producer that manufactures Mediterranean-style specialty cheeses and dairy products from milk sourced from dedicated local farms. Their core product line includes Berloumi grill cheese, Labneh strained yogurt, Ricotta, Paneer, Cacioricotta (viVie), Sicilian Cannoli, and cheese whey (Zuivelarwei). Each product is made with milk from a single dedicated local farmer, emphasizing short supply chains and full traceability.
Is The Dairy a public or private company?
The Dairy is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was The Dairy founded?
The Dairy was founded in 2014. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is The Dairy based?
The Dairy is headquartered in Berlare, Belgium, in the Europe region.
How does The Dairy make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Artisanal Mediterranean Cheese Products are the primary driver. The others are direct Consumer Sales.
Who are The Dairy's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Bel Group, Bongrain (Savencia Fromage & Dairy) and Lactalis. Emerging players are Cypress Grove, Vermont Creamery and Karoun Dairies. Direct peers are Bertyn, Beillevaire, Fromagerie Berthaut and Henri Willig.
Does The Dairy have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Dairy.
What industry is The Dairy in?
The Dairy's product category is Artisanal Dairy Products. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAHABAA, Fresh/Natural Cheese Manufacturing (Unripened & Soft), with a secondary code of AFAHADAE, Labneh Manufacturing. Its NAICS code is 31151 and its SIC code is 2020.