The White Moustache

What The White Moustache does

The White Moustache is a privately held, founder-owned artisan dairy company founded in 2012 by Homa Dashtaki and her father Goshtasb Dashtaki, headquartered in Red Hook, Brooklyn. The company produces small-batch, handmade yogurt using ancient Persian hand-straining and batch-incubation techniques that take three days per batch; the only inputs are whole milk from Hudson Valley Fresh (a New York family-farm cooperative) or Straus Family Creamery (for the Los Angeles market) and live probiotic cultures, with no added cream, starches, sugars (except fruit preserves), or preservatives. Its product portfolio spans Persian and Greek-style yogurts, extended-strain labneh in plain, Shankleesh, and Kurdish flavors, a line of probiotic whey beverages (tonics in plain, ginger, honey lime, passionfruit, and pineapple), frozen probiotic whey pops in Tropical, Melon, and Traditional varieties, and a 2023 cookbook by the founder, 'Yogurt & Whey: Recipes of an Iranian Immigrant Life.'

The business operates a multi-channel go-to-market model. Direct-to-consumer revenue is generated at rotating farmers markets across the New York metropolitan area (Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, Westchester, Long Island), where jar and bottle redemption programs double as marketing and sustainability branding. Wholesale distribution covers multiple Whole Foods Market locations in New York City and Long Island, Eataly (NYC and LA, including a dedicated on-premises production kitchen at the LA Century City store), Citarella, Murray's Cheese, and an assortment of independent specialty grocers, with additional D2C delivery via Farm to People, Fresh Direct, and Natoora. The company has an application pending for an FDA small-batch nutritional label exemption and cites its inability to ship nationally due to product fragility and bandwidth constraints as a deliberate operational boundary.

Customer segments split horizontally between health-conscious, food-enthusiast consumers seeking premium additive-free dairy; specialty and natural food retailers needing differentiated story-driven SKUs (Whole Foods, Citarella, Eataly, Murray's Cheese); and foodservice/culinary professionals using artisan whey and yogurt as ingredients (e.g., Smith Canteen). The company is bootstrapped, has no disclosed external funding, self-describes as a 'very small team,' and runs on a make-to-order production model with no inventory — making labor capacity rather than demand the binding growth constraint. Earned media coverage from Vogue, The New York Times, Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, Edible Brooklyn, HuffPost, and The Economist functions as its primary marketing channel.

Name

The White Moustache

Legal name

The White Moustache

Website

https://whitemoustache.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The White Moustache is a founder-owned Brooklyn-based artisan dairy company that produces handmade Persian-style yogurts, labneh, and a line of probiotic whey beverages and frozen pops using ancient hand-straining techniques and milk from Hudson Valley Fresh or Straus Family Creamery, distributed via NYC-area farmers markets, specialty retailers, and an on-premises Eataly LA kitchen.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Artisan Dairy Products

NAICS

Dairy Product Manufacturing (3115)

SIC

Dairy Products (2020)

akta.pro primary industry

Probiotic/Fermented Functional Cultured Dairy (Added Cultures/Prebiotics) Manufacturing (AFAHADAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Drinkable Yogurt & Cultured Dairy Beverages (Lassi, Ayran, Probiotic Dairy) (AFAFAEAC), Fermented Drinkable Dairy (Lassi, Ayran, Doogh, Chaas/Buttermilk Drinks) (AFAHAIAB)

Keywords

• Artisan yogurt production
• Hand-strained dairy
• Persian yogurt products
• Probiotic whey beverages
• Small batch dairy

Headquarters

HQ city

Brooklyn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Direct Retail Sales (Farmers Markets): The company sells directly to consumers at weekly farmers markets across the New York metro area, accepting jar and bottle returns for recycling/reuse.
2. Wholesale to Retailers: Products are sold wholesale to specialty and natural food retailers including Whole Foods, Citarella, Murray's Cheese, Eataly, and independent grocers across New York, Westchester, Long Island, and Los Angeles.
3. Book Sales: Founder Homa Dashtaki's cookbook 'Yogurt & Whey: Recipes of an Iranian Immigrant Life' is sold through major book retailers including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Indiebound, and others.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The White Moustache is a small-batch artisan yogurt maker that produces handmade, hand-strained dairy products using ancient Persian techniques. Its core offerings include Persian and Greek-style yogurt, labneh, probiotic whey beverages (tonics), and frozen probiotic whey pops, all made from whole milk sourced from Hudson Valley Fresh (NY) or Straus Family Creamery (CA) and live probiotic cultures with no added cream, starches, sugars, or preservatives. The brand has also published a cookbook, 'Yogurt & Whey: Recipes of an Iranian Immigrant Life,' extending its culinary narrative beyond yogurt.

Product overview

The White Moustache is a small-batch, artisan yogurt company producing hand-crafted dairy products using traditional Persian techniques. The product portfolio centers on handmade, hand-strained yogurts (Persian and Greek styles), extended-strain labneh, probiotic whey beverages (tonics), and frozen probiotic whey pops. Yogurts are offered in multiple flavored varieties including Date, Kiss (Walnut & Honey), Moosir, Mulberry, Peach, and Sour Cherry. All products are made with whole milk from Hudson Valley Fresh (New York) or Straus Family Creamery (California for LA location), live probiotic cultures, and no added cream, starches, sugars (except fruit preserves), or preservatives. The company also published a cookbook 'Yogurt & Whey: Recipes of an Iranian Immigrant Life' documenting their culinary heritage.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Persian Yogurt Handmade, hand-strained yogurt made using ancient Persian techniques with whole milk and live probiotic cultures; a decadent, thick yogurt offered in plain style as the foundational product.
• Greek Yogurt (including flavored varieties: Date, Kiss/Walnut & Honey, Moosir, Mulberry, Peach, Sour Cherry) The same recipe as Persian yogurt but strained longer for a thicker texture, made with whole milk and bacterial cultures. Available in plain and flavored varieties, including Date (Greek with date sugar), Kiss (Walnut & Honey), Moosir (dried shallots and salt), Mulberry (mulberry preserves), Peach (peaches and sugar), and Sour Cherry (hand-poured sour cherries, sugar, and glucose syrup).
• Labneh The same yogurt recipe strained even longer to achieve a thicker, spreadable consistency. Available in Plain, Shankleesh, and Kurdish flavors for use as a dip or spread.
• Probiotic Tonics (Whey Beverages) A thirst-quenching elixir of pure yogurt whey, rich in calcium, probiotics, and vitamins. Available in plain, ginger, honey lime, passionfruit, and pineapple flavors.
• Probiotic Whey Pops Frozen probiotic whey pops infused with fresh fruit, leveraging the company's yogurt whey stream. Available in Tropical, Melon, and Traditional Probiotic Pop packs.
• Yogurt & Whey: Recipes of an Iranian Immigrant Life Cookbook by founder Homa Dashtaki featuring traditional Iranian yogurt recipes and innovative uses for whey, reflecting the company's culinary heritage and Iranian immigrant story.

Quantifiable outcome

• Described as 'the creamiest and most delicious yogurt I can find in New York City (and maybe in the entire country)' — Vogue
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 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

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Hudson Valley FreshcoreOthersHudson Valley Fresh is a dairy farmer cooperative of family farms in the Hudson River Valley, dedicated to sustainable agriculture and preserving dairy farming tradition. The White Moustache sources 100% of its milk for New York production from this co-op, which is certified by KOF-K Kosher Supervision. The co-op supplies whole milk to The White Moustache's handmade yogurt production process.
• Straus Family CreamerycoreOthersStraus Family Creamery supplies the milk used in The White Moustache's on-premises production kitchen at Eataly Los Angeles in the Westfield Century City Shopping Center. This enables local production for the California market using a dedicated artisan dairy supplier.
• EatalyflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe White Moustache operates a dedicated production kitchen inside Eataly LA, making yogurts and beverages on-premises using Straus Family Creamery milk. Products are sold within the market and used in dishes at Eataly's various restaurant concepts. Eataly NYC also carries the full product range across multiple locations.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Straus Family Creamery: California-based Straus Family Creamery is The White Moustache's milk supplier for the Eataly LA kitchen and also produces its own line of artisanal yogurt and dairy — a regional peer that could become a direct competitor if it expands cultured dairy SKUs.

Broad incumbents

• Stonyfield Farm: Stonyfield is the established organic yogurt leader offering certified-organic, probiotic-rich products across all major US retailers at lower price points — competing for the same health-conscious consumer with greater scale.
• Fage: Fage is a leading international Greek yogurt brand with broad US distribution at lower price points — also referenced by The White Moustache as a commercial comparison for its premium handmade offering.
• Chobani: Chobani is the dominant Greek yogurt brand with national distribution, also offering probiotic and reduced-sugar lines — directly named by The White Moustache as a cheaper commercial benchmark against which its handmade premium is justified.

Direct peers

• Ronnybrook Dairy: Hudson Valley-based Ronnybrook produces premium artisanal dairy products including yogurt with a similar local-farm provenance narrative and NYC specialty retail distribution footprint.
• Siggi's: Siggi's makes Icelandic-style skyr (a thick, strained yogurt) with a similar premium, clean-label positioning and Nordic heritage story. Both brands target health-conscious consumers seeking thick, high-protein, low-sugar yogurt and compete for the same Whole Foods and specialty retailer shelf space.
• Bellwether Farms: Sonoma-based Bellwether Farms produces artisanal sheep and cow milk yogurt using traditional small-batch methods, with a comparable farm-to-jar provenance story and premium positioning in West Coast specialty retail.
• Maple Hill Creamery: Maple Hill produces 100% grass-fed organic yogurt from New York family farms — overlapping geography and a similar farm-cooperative supply story, also sold through Whole Foods and farmers markets in the NYC metro area.

Emerging players

• Five Acre Farms: Five Acre Farms is a New York-based brand sourcing premium local dairy for retail, operating in overlapping farmers-market and specialty-retail channels with a comparable local-provenance storytelling approach.
• Vermont Creamery: Vermont Creamery produces artisanal cultured dairy including crème fraîche and fresh cheese, with a similar farm-sourced narrative and specialty-retail distribution; relevant as an adjacent cultured-dairy artisan brand.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/moustacheyogurt
• Facebookfacebook.com/thewhitemoustache
• Instagraminstagram.com/whitemoustacheyogurt
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/white-moustache

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 The White Moustache