Fromageries de l'Etoiles

What Fromageries de l'Etoiles does

Fromageries de l'Etoile is a French artisanal cheese producer that operates four regional fromageries across three southern French regions (Dauphiné, Provence, and Quercy): Etoile du Vercors in Saint-Just-de-Claix (Isère), Etoile du Sud in Saint-Christophe-sur-Guiers (Isère), Etoile du Quercy in Loubressac (Lot), and Etoile de Provence/Fromagerie de Banon in Banon (Alpes-de-Haute-Provence). Founded in 1942 by Marius Berruyer and consolidated over time (Quercy in 1986, Provence in 1958, Sud in 1992), the group produces roughly 20+ cheese and dairy specialities from cow, goat, and sheep milk, including appellation-protected flagship lines such as Banon AOP, Rocamadour AOP, and Saint-Marcellin IGP, plus organic BIO variants and specialty products such as mozzarella and gâteau au fromage blanc. Core production relies on traditional craft methods: hand ladle molding (moulage à la louche), manual salting and turning, humidity-controlled cellars (hâloirs), and for Banon AOP, hand-wrapping in chestnut leaves tied with natural raffia. The group sources 100% of its milk from approximately 125 local farms within each region's departments (69 cow-milk producers for Vercors, 46 goat-milk producers for Quercy, 10 for Provence), of which significant subsets are AOP, IGP, or BIO certified.

Fromageries de l'Etoile generates revenue through wholesale and retail sale of its cheeses and dairy specialities via traditional channels: specialty fromageries, supermarket and hypermarket fresh and deli counters (à la coupe and frais-emballé), and self-service grocery aisles across France. No direct-to-consumer e-commerce or online ordering is offered. The company operates as a B2B2C food manufacturer, supplying retailers such as Carrefour, Leclerc, and Intermarché, and targets both individual consumers seeking authentic terroir cheeses and retail buyers requiring certified AOP/IGP/BIO supply. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. The group is registered as a private SAS (société par actions simplifiée) under the legal name FROMAGERIES DES TERROIRS DU SUD, with registered capital of €1,600,000, domiciled in Grenoble, France, and operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary within the Lactalis Group, one of the world's largest dairy conglomerates. Patrick de Guerines serves as Gérant.

Name

Fromageries de l'Etoiles

Legal name

FROMAGERIES DES TERROIRS DU SUD

Website

https://fromageries-etoile.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1942

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Fromageries de l'Etoile is a French artisanal cheese producer operating four fromageries across southern France, manufacturing AOP, IGP, and BIO certified cheeses from cow, goat, and sheep milk for French retail distribution as a Lactalis Group subsidiary.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Artisanal Cheese Manufacturing

NAICS

Cheese Manufacturing (311513), Dairy Product Manufacturing (3115)

SIC

Dairy Products (2020)

akta.pro primary industry

Cheese Manufacturing (AFAKAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fresh/Natural Cheese Manufacturing (Unripened & Soft) (AFAHABAA), Ripened Natural Cheese Manufacturing (Semi-Soft, Hard & Blue) (AFAHABAB), Cheese Aging/Affineur Services (Maturation & Cave-Aging) (AFAHABAH), Cheese Packaging & Portioning (Retail Packs, Snack Packs, Singles) (AFAHABAI)

Keywords

• Artisan cheese manufacturing
• AOP certified cheeses
• Traditional French cheesemaking
• Regional dairy production
• Raw milk cheese production

Headquarters

HQ city

Cesson-sévigné

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Cheese and dairy product sales: Fromageries de l'Etoile generates revenue through the manufacture and sale of artisanal cheeses and dairy specialities (mozzarella, cheesecake-like white cheese cake). Products are sold through retail channels including fromageries, supermarkets, and grocery stores at fresh-packed and cut-to-order counters. The group operates as a B2B2C food manufacturer, with 4 production sites across southern France producing ~20 cheese varieties including AOP, IGP, BIO, and conventional products.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Fromageries de l'Etoile manufactures and refines traditional artisanal cheeses across four fromageries in southern France. The company produces a range of AOP-protected (Banon AOP, Rocamadour AOP), IGP-protected (Saint-Marcellin IGP), organic-certified (BIO), and conventional cheeses from cow, goat, and sheep milk, along with specialty dairy products such as mozzarella and gâteau au fromage blanc.

Product overview

Fromageries de l'Etoile is a French artisan cheese company comprising four fromageries across three southern French regions: Étoile du Vercors (Isère), Étoile du Sud (Isère), Étoile du Quercy (Lot), and Étoile de Provence/Banon (Alpes-de-Haute-Provence). Founded in 1942, the company produces a portfolio of cheeses from cow, goat, and sheep milk, including AOC/AOP-protected varieties (Banon AOP, Rocamadour AOP), IGP-protected cheeses (Saint-Marcellin IGP), organic certified products, and fresh dairy specialties like Mozzarella and Gâteau au Fromage Blanc. The four fromageries maintain distinct product ranges reflecting their regional terroir while sharing collective expertise in traditional artisan cheese-making.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Etoile du Vercors: Cheese dairy specializing in traditional Dauphiné cheeses including Saint-Marcellin IGP, Saint-Félicien, and Tentation de Saint-Félicien
• Etoile de Provence
• Etoile du Quercy
• Etoile du Sud

Products and services

• Le Tentation de Saint-Félicien A creamy cow's milk specialty cheese with an intense creamy heart, produced at Étoile du Vercors from thermisé or raw cow's milk enriched with pasteurized cream and aged a minimum of 9 days.
• Le Saint-Félicien A creamy Dauphiné cheese weighing 150-200g, made from cow's milk (raw or thermisé) enriched with pasteurized cream and aged a minimum of 9 days.
• Le Saint-Marcellin IGP An 80g IGP-protected small cheese from cow's milk (thermise or raw), originating from Dauphiné, with a beige rind, creamy paste, and minimum 10-day aging.
• Le Saint-Marcellin IGP BIO An 80g organic-certified version of Saint-Marcellin IGP made with thermisé whole cow's milk from certified organic producers, aged minimum 9 days.
• Le Saint-Félicien BIO A 150g organic-certified version of Saint-Félicien, made with thermisé whole cow's milk and pasteurized cream, aged minimum 9 days.
• Le Rocamadour AOP A 35g AOP-protected raw goat cheese from Quercy, one of the smallest AOP cheeses, made with milk from Saanen or Alpine goats and aged minimum 6 days.
• Le Banon AOP An AOP-protected raw whole goat cheese wrapped in 6-12 brown chestnut leaves tied with natural raffia, aged minimum 15 days total, with creamy paste and subtle underbrush aromas.
• La Tomette à l'huile A 100g fresh goat cheese specialty from Banon made using the lactic curds technique, covered with olive oil, herbes de Provence, red berries, and bay leaf.
• La Tomette aux baies A 100g fresh goat cheese specialty from Banon, sprinkled with herbes de Provence and pink berries, made using the lactic curds technique.
• La Tome de Provence A 100g soft-ripened goat cheese cousin of Banon AOP from Banon, made from thermisé milk, hand-molded, seasoned with pepper and savory, and aged minimum 7 days.
• La Tome Fraîche A traditional 100g fresh goat cheese from Banon, hand-molded with a sprig of savory and made using the lactic curds technique.
• La Bûchette A 100g fresh thermisé goat cheese from Banon, shaped like a small log with hand-made striations and a sprig of savory, with a light and airy texture.
• La Brique de Chèvre A 200g soft-ripened goat cheese brick from Loubressac (Lot), hand-molded, salted and aged minimum 7 days.
• La Brique de Vache A 200g soft-ripened cow's milk cheese brick from Loubressac (Lot), hand-molded, salted and aged 7 days.
• La Brique de Brebis A 200g soft-ripened sheep's milk cheese brick from Loubressac (Lot), made with whole sheep's milk, hand-molded, salted and aged 7 days.
• Le Cabrichaud A 120-160g fresh goat cheese from Loubressac wrapped in smoked bacon, intended to be cooked or baked to reveal a melted cheese with smoky flavors.
• Le Compostelle A 120g pilgrim shell-shaped fresh goat cheese from Loubressac inspired by the Saint-Jacques de Compostelle pilgrimage route, made using the lactic curds technique and aged 7 days.
• Le Padirac A 150g soft-ripened round sheep's milk cheese from Loubressac, named after the Gouffre de Padirac, aged 7 days.
• Le Pavé du Lot An 180g soft-ripened goat cheese from Loubressac, cousin of Padirac, hand-molded and aged minimum 7 days.
• La Mozzarella Fresh mozzarella produced at Étoile du Sud in Saint-Christophe-sur-Guiers, made with traditional artisan techniques including hand-braiding.
• Le Gâteau au Fromage Blanc A 350g to 3kg fresh, light cheesecake made from fromage blanc, eggs, sugar, starch and natural lemon flavor, gluten-free, produced at Étoile du Sud.
• Le Tentation au Chèvre Frais An 180g fresh round cheese made with goat milk enriched with cow's cream, created as an unripened goat-milk counterpart to Tentation de Saint-Félicien.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% local milk sourcing for all 4 fromageries, with milk collected exclusively from farms within each region's departments (Drôme, Isère, Lot, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and neighboring departments)

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• ClaranetminorOthersClaranet is the web hosting provider for the fromageries-etoile.com website, based at 2 rue des Landelles, 35510 Cesson-Sévigné, France. This is a technical infrastructure services relationship.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Bel Group: Major French dairy conglomerate operating The Laughing Cow, Babybel, Kiri, and regional cheese brands. Closely comparable as a multi-brand French cheese manufacturer distributing through supermarkets and deli counters in France and internationally.
• Fromagerie Beillevaire: French multi-site artisanal cheesemaker operating fromageries and refining cellars across western France. Highly comparable to Fromageries de l'Etoile as a network of regional artisanal production sites selling traditional cheeses through retail and specialty channels.
• Isigny Sainte-Mère: Normandy-based dairy cooperative producing AOP cheeses (Camembert de Normandie, Pont-l'Évêque, Neufchâtel) and butter with strong territorial branding. Comparable to Fromageries de l'Etoile as an AOP-focused French regional cheesemaker with multi-product portfolios anchored by certifications.
• Triballat (Paysan Breton): French dairy cooperative producing specialty cheeses including AOP varieties across multiple French regions. Comparable to Fromageries de l'Etoile in cooperative structure, AOP/regional focus, and distribution through French supermarket fresh and deli counters.
• Savencia Fromage & Dairy (Bongrain): France's leading specialty cheese group with a portfolio of AOP and territorial brands. Directly comparable to Fromageries de l'Etoile as a multi-site French cheese manufacturer with overlapping AOP/PDO positioning across regions.
• Fromagerie Marcel Petite: Heritage affineur specializing in Comté and other mountain cheeses with multi-generation expertise. Comparable to Fromageries de l'Etoile in heritage positioning, affinage focus, and producer storytelling, though Marcel Petite leans more heavily on affineur/wholesale model.
• Compagnie des Fromages & Richesmonts: French specialty cheese company (now part of Savencia) with a portfolio of regional French cheeses. Directly comparable to Fromageries de l'Etoile for multi-AOP cheese manufacturing, regional brand portfolio, and supermarket distribution in France.

Broad incumbents

• Sodiaal Coopération (Candia, Yoplait, Entremont): France's largest dairy cooperative with multi-category cheese, dairy, and beverage brands including Entremont cheese brand. Comparable broader incumbent to Fromageries de l'Etoile in French dairy manufacturing, AOP cheese portfolio (Emmental, Comté, etc.), and supermarket distribution, though materially larger and more diversified.
• Agrial / Eurial (Loïc Raison, Les Fromagers de Brebis): French agricultural cooperative with a significant cheese arm producing AOP and regional cheeses across multiple French regions. Comparable broader incumbent to Fromageries de l'Etoile in multi-site French cheese manufacturing, AOP focus, and retail distribution, though substantially larger and more diversified.
• Lactalis sister brands (Présidente, Galbani, Le Brousse): Sister cheese brands owned by Lactalis, the parent company of Fromageries de l'Etoile. Comparable as sibling entities within the same Lactalis dairy portfolio, sharing distribution and category management, though operating at materially larger scale and brand recognition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries4 records

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 Fromageries de l'Etoiles