Barrys Bay Cheese
Barrys Bay Cheese is a 130-year-old, family-owned New Zealand artisan cheese maker producing 20+ handcrafted varieties from local Banks Peninsula milk at its Duvauchelle factory, selling direct-to-consumer online and through a nationwide network of supermarkets and specialty retailers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1895
- HeadquartersDuvauchelle, New Zealand
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Barrys Bay Cheese does
Barrys Bay Cheese is a traditional, handcrafted cheese manufacturer established in 1895 on Banks Peninsula, New Zealand, and currently operating from a single factory in Duvauchelle, Akaroa. The company produces more than 20 cheese varieties — including Cheddar, Gouda, Havarti, Maasdam, Gruyere, Cheshire, Blue, and cold-smoked styles using native New Zealand woods (Manuka, Pohutukawa, Applewood) — from fresh local milk pasteurised on-site and aged on white pine shelves. Production follows a strictly traditional, non-mechanised process and runs seasonally from September to May using a single open vat (versus five historically), with the company having explicitly declined to mechanise. The portfolio is complemented by curated gift boxes, accompaniments, and a $220/year Year of Cheese Club quarterly subscription.
The business operates a multi-channel go-to-market model: direct-to-consumer e-commerce (barrysbaycheese.co.nz, a Shopify storefront) with nationwide overnight courier delivery in chilltainers or wool-lined boxes with icepacks; a factory shop at the Duvauchelle site open seven days a week; wholesale distribution through supermarkets (Simply Fresh, The Fresh Market Hauraki, Moore Wilson) and a network of specialty cheese shops, wineries, delis, and butchers spanning nine New Zealand regions; and bespoke event catering for weddings and private functions. Customer segments are primarily individual consumers, with secondary segments in event planners/caterers, gift buyers, and retail partners. Pricing is premium and unit-based ($6–$30 per cheese, $27–$74 per gift box), with an annual subscription tier.
Ownership is private and concentrated: Daniel and Amy Shields acquired the business in 2017 after five years as its distributor. The company holds an Off Licence (60/OFF/104/2024) permitting sale of wine-bearing gift boxes. Its quality positioning is supported by a sustained awards record, including the Bledisloe Cup at the British Dairy Show (1950), Champion of Champions at the NZ Champions of Cheese Awards for Aged Gouda in 2014 and again in 2025, and 26 medals at the 2025 awards. No external funding rounds, M&A activity, or institutional investors are disclosed.
Barrys Bay Cheese firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Barrys Bay Cheese
- Legal name
- Barrys Bay Cheese
- Website
- https://barrysbaycheese.co.nz
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1895
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Barrys Bay Cheese is a 130-year-old, family-owned New Zealand artisan cheese maker producing 20+ handcrafted varieties from local Banks Peninsula milk at its Duvauchelle factory, selling direct-to-consumer online and through a nationwide network of supermarkets and specialty retailers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Barrys Bay Cheese industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Artisan Cheese
- NAICS
- Cheese Manufacturing (311513)
- SIC
- Dairy Products (2020)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Ripened Natural Cheese Manufacturing (Semi-Soft, Hard & Blue) (AFAHABAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Fresh/Natural Cheese Manufacturing (Unripened & Soft) (AFAHABAA), Cheese Packaging & Portioning (Retail Packs, Snack Packs, Singles) (AFAHABAI)
Keywords
Where Barrys Bay Cheese is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Duvauchelle
- HQ country
- New Zealand
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices2 records
Markets served
Barrys Bay Cheese business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Direct E-commerce Sales: Online sales through barrysbaycheese.co.nz with direct-to-consumer shipping across New Zealand using overnight courier in chilltainers or boxes with wool liners and icepacks. Orders dispatched Monday–Wednesday (North Island) and Monday–Thursday (South Island) to avoid weekend transit.
- Factory Shop Retail: On-site factory shop at Duvauchelle, Akaroa open 9am–5pm daily (closed Christmas Day), offering all cheese varieties, gift boxes, accompaniments, and accessories for walk-in purchases. Free pickup for online orders.
- Wholesale to Supermarkets and Boutiques: Stocking through leading supermarkets and boutique retailers nationwide, including Simply Fresh, Moore Wilson, specialty cheese shops, butchers, delicatessens, wineries, and grocers across New Zealand.
- Year of Cheese Club Subscription: Annual subscription at $220/year (including postage and packaging) with quarterly deliveries of 5 cheeses, a Laguiole Cheese Knife on first delivery, and a Barrys Bay Cloth Cheese Bag. Delivery months: February, May, August, November.
- Gift Box Sales: Curated gift boxes including White Wine & Cheese Box ($49), Red Wine & Cheese Box ($55), Cheese Lovers Box ($27), Choc & Cheese Box ($29), Ultimate Platter Box ($68), and Barrys Bay Cheese Collection Box ($74). Some boxes contain alcohol (wine) requiring age verification.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Individual Cheese Products |
| Subscription | Annual | Year of Cheese Club Subscription |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Curated Gift Boxes |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Gift Cards |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Barrys Bay Cheese product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Barrys Bay Cheese produces over 20 varieties of traditional, handcrafted cheese made from fresh local Banks Peninsula milk pasteurised in-house. The portfolio includes cheddars, Dutch-style (Gouda, Maasdam), Danish-style (Havarti), Swiss-style (Gruyere), blue, cold-smoked, and flavoured cheeses, sold direct-to-consumer via e-commerce and a factory shop and wholesale through supermarkets and boutique retailers across New Zealand.
Product overview
Barrys Bay Cheese is a traditional, handcrafted cheese maker established in 1895 on Banks Peninsula, New Zealand. The company offers over 20 different artisanal cheeses, which are sold through a direct-to-consumer e-commerce platform and through retail partners. The product portfolio consists of core cheese products (including Cheddar, Havarti, Gouda, Maasdam, Gruyere, Blue cheese, and smoked varieties), gift boxes (pre-curated cheese selections paired with wine, chocolate, or accompaniments), a subscription service (Year of Cheese Club delivering quarterly cheese selections), and cheese accessories. The company operates a factory shop and ships products nationwide via courier.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Handcrafted Cheese Range Over 20 varieties of traditional handcrafted cheese made from fresh local Banks Peninsula milk, including cheddars (e.g. Sharp Cheddar, Canterbury Red, Aged Cumin Gouda Cheddar, Cracked Pepper, Balsamic & Onion, Chilli, Live Chive, Wainui Vintage Rinded), Dutch-style (Gouda, Maasdam, Aged Gouda), Danish-style (Havarti, Peppered Havarti, Paprika Havarti), Swiss-style (Gruyere), English (Cheshire), blue (Peninsula Blue), and Onawe Aged Cheddar. Sold by weight (110g–1kg formats).
Quantifiable outcome
- Champion of Champions (Mid-Sized) 2025 for Aged Gouda at NZ Champions of Cheese Awards
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Barrys Bay Cheese
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Barrys Bay Cheese technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Barrys Bay Cheese partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Simply FreshcoreSimply Fresh is a leading Auckland-based supermarket chain that stocks Barrys Bay Cheese products for retail sale to consumers in the Auckland region.
- The Fresh Market HaurakicoreThe Fresh Market Hauraki is an Auckland-based fresh food retailer stocking Barrys Bay Cheese products.
- Charring Cross CheeserycoreSpecialty cheese retailer in Canterbury that stocks Barrys Bay Cheese products.
- Moore WilsoncoreWell-known Wellington specialty food retailer that stocks Barrys Bay Cheese products.
- C'est CheesecoreSpecialty cheese shop in Wairarapa that stocks Barrys Bay Cheese products.
- BennettominorNew Zealand organic chocolate brand whose products (Bennetto chocolate bars) are included in Barrys Bay Cheese gift boxes (White Wine & Cheese Box, Red Wine & Cheese Box, Choc & Cheese Box, Ultimate Platter Box).
- 3 Boys Oyster Stoutminor3 Boys Oyster Stout Cheddar is a seasonal exclusive cheese flavour that uses 3 Boys Oyster Stout, suggesting a product collaboration or ingredient sourcing partnership with the 3 Boys Brewery.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Barrys Bay Cheese competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Bel Group: International cheese and dairy company built on branded cheese portfolios (The Laughing Cow, Babybel, Kiri). Comparable as a multi-SKU, multi-channel specialty cheese operator, though at much larger scale and with industrial processing rather than handcraft methods.
- Saputo: Canadian-headquartered global dairy processor with significant specialty and artisan cheese brands across multiple geographies. Comparable through broad cheese portfolio, supermarket distribution, and growing specialty cheese brand exposure via acquisitions.
- Lactalis: World's largest dairy company and a dominant cheese specialist across consumer and ingredient segments. Overlaps with Barrys Bay on aged/traditional cheese formats and global retail reach, though with industrial scale and capital that Barrys Bay cannot match.
- Arla Foods: Global dairy cooperative with deep presence in specialty and aged cheeses via the Castello and Arla brands. Comparable through overlapping artisan-style cheese SKUs, worldwide retail distribution, and owner-cooperative governance structure.
- Fonterra (Mainland / Kapiti): Largest New Zealand dairy cooperative, owner of the Mainland brand and the Kapiti premium cheese brand. Competes with Barrys Bay in the same supermarket aisles but at vastly larger scale, with full export infrastructure and broad ingredient capability.
Direct peers
- Origin Earth: New Zealand artisan cheese and dairy producer emphasising natural, traditional methods. Directly comparable on provenance-led positioning, multiple cheese SKUs, and a direct/specialty-channel go-to-market.
- Whitestone Cheese: Artisan New Zealand cheese maker based in Oamaru with a portfolio emphasising aged and blue-style cheeses. Comparable to Barrys Bay on craft provenance, multi-SKU output, NZ-wide specialty distribution, and reliance on awards as marketing.
- Cranky Goat: Small-batch New Zealand goat and cow milk cheesemaker on Banks Peninsula-adjacent South Island. Comparable niche artisan scale, e-commerce-led direct sales, and positioning as a craft alternative to industrial NZ dairy.
- Kapiti Cheese: Premium New Zealand cheese brand best known for its aged and flavoured cheddars and gouda. Directly comparable to Barrys Bay in product format (artisan hard cheeses), target customer (premium gifting and retail), and channel mix (supermarkets plus specialty retail).
Emerging players
- Jasper Hill Farm: Vermont-based artisan cheese maker specialising in cave-aged, raw-milk farmstead cheeses. Closely comparable in craft ethos, terroir-driven flavours, and producer-led DTC plus wholesale model, representing an international 'traditional-method premium cheese' archetype.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Barrys Bay Cheese social profiles
Digital presenceBarrys Bay Cheese financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Barrys Bay Cheese leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Barrys Bay Cheese funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Barrys Bay Cheese 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 Barrys Bay Cheese
What does Barrys Bay Cheese do?
Barrys Bay Cheese produces over 20 varieties of traditional, handcrafted cheese made from fresh local Banks Peninsula milk pasteurised in-house. The portfolio includes cheddars, Dutch-style (Gouda, Maasdam), Danish-style (Havarti), Swiss-style (Gruyere), blue, cold-smoked, and flavoured cheeses, sold direct-to-consumer via e-commerce and a factory shop and wholesale through supermarkets and boutique retailers across New Zealand.
Is Barrys Bay Cheese a public or private company?
Barrys Bay Cheese is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Barrys Bay Cheese founded?
Barrys Bay Cheese was founded in 1895.
Where is Barrys Bay Cheese based?
Barrys Bay Cheese is headquartered in Duvauchelle, New Zealand, in the Oceania region.
How does Barrys Bay Cheese make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Direct E-commerce Sales are the primary driver. The others are factory Shop Retail, wholesale to Supermarkets and Boutiques, year of Cheese Club Subscription and gift Box Sales.
Who are Barrys Bay Cheese's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Bel Group, Saputo, Lactalis, Arla Foods and Fonterra (Mainland / Kapiti). Direct peers are Origin Earth, Whitestone Cheese, Cranky Goat and Kapiti Cheese. Jasper Hill Farm is listed as an emerging player.
Does Barrys Bay Cheese have an API?
No public API is recorded for Barrys Bay Cheese.
What industry is Barrys Bay Cheese in?
Barrys Bay Cheese's product category is Artisan Cheese. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAHABAB, Ripened Natural Cheese Manufacturing (Semi-Soft, Hard & Blue), with a secondary code of AFAHABAA, Fresh/Natural Cheese Manufacturing (Unripened & Soft). Its NAICS code is 311513 and its SIC code is 2020.