The Hopscotch

What The Hopscotch does

Het Hinkelspel is a Belgian artisan cheese-making cooperative (coöperatieve vennootschap) founded in 1983 in Gent and now headquartered in Sleidinge. The company produces a portfolio of specialty cheeses from raw, organic (biological) milk — a transition it completed in 2001 as a pioneer in the Belgian market. Its core product range spans Goudse boerenkaas varieties (Bellie, Herbie with six herb variants, CabriOgand goat-milk Gouda, Dulses with Breton seaweed), red-flor washed-rind cheeses (Pas de Rouge, Toine, Cabriolait), and blue-mold cheese (Pas de Bleu) made with Penicillium roqueforti, plus a co-branded Lousberg Tripel beer brewed by Proefbrouwerij. Production is anchored at the Sleidinge creamery using traditional methods — raw milk processing, controlled culturing, manual salting and pricking, and patient aging — with no preservatives, colorings, or artificial additives.

The cooperative serves a diversified customer base across Flanders through three primary channels. Direct-to-consumer revenue comes from two owned retail stores — one in Gent at the Lousbergmarkt covered market (Mon-Sat 8:30-18u) and one in Sleidinge adjacent to the creamery (Fri-Sat limited hours) — plus an online ordering system and cheese-plate catering for events (€16.50 pp main course, €9.50 pp dessert). Wholesale distribution reaches horeca, retailers, and wholesalers region-wide via a single delivery van, and the stores also retail a curated selection from other artisan cheesemakers, including Italian producer Cuore di Puglia. The cooperative's governance model combines working partners (who participate in weekly operational decisions across cheesemaking, retail, and distribution) and silent financial partners, with one-member-one-vote democratic control regardless of share ownership. The Kaaskaart loyalty card (€75 minimum, 10% cheese discount) provides both customer retention and a working-capital mechanism for the cheesemaking process.

Name

The Hopscotch

Legal name

Het Hinkelspel erkende CV

Website

https://hethinkelspel.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Het Hinkelspel is a Belgian cooperative founded in 1983 that produces artisan raw, organic-milk cheeses. It sells through two retail stores in Gent and Sleidinge, wholesale distribution to horeca and retailers across Flanders, online ordering, and cheese-plate catering.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Artisan Cheese / Specialty Dairy

NAICS

Cheese Manufacturing (311513), Dairy Product (except Dried or Canned) Merchant Wholesalers (424430), Specialty Food Retailers (4452)

SIC

Dairy Products (2020), Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Cheese Manufacturing (AFAKAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Ripened Natural Cheese Manufacturing (Semi-Soft, Hard & Blue) (AFAHABAB), Cheese Wholesale (AFAIAEAC), Cheese Shops & Fromageries (CRAHAGAD)

Keywords

• Artisan cheesemaking
• Raw milk cheeses
• Organic dairy production
• Cheese wholesale distribution
• Cooperative dairy

Headquarters

HQ city

Sleidinge

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Retail Sales (Own Stores): Direct retail sales through two physical store locations - one in Gent at Lousbergmarkt and one in Sleidinge next to the creamery. Stores sell own-made cheeses plus curated selection from other artisan cheesemakers.
2. Wholesale Distribution: Distribution and sale of own cheeses AND cheeses from other artisan cheesemakers to horeca, retailers, and wholesalers across all of Flanders via delivery van.
3. Cheese Plates/Catering: Custom cheese plates prepared for family celebrations, cheese and wine evenings, or casual gatherings. Assortment of soft and hard cheeses from cow, goat, and sheep milk, beautifully ripened and presented on wooden boards with dried fruits and nuts. Also buffet options available.
4. Online Ordering: Online cheese ordering system through their website for customers to purchase cheeses remotely.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Het Hinkelspel is a Belgian artisan cheese-making cooperative that produces handcrafted cheeses from raw, organic milk in three families — Gouda-style farmer's cheeses, red-rind washed cheeses, and blue cheeses — plus a partnered tripel beer. It sells its own cheeses and a curated selection from other artisan cheesemakers through two retail stores in Ghent and Sleidinge, wholesale distribution across Flanders via a delivery van, online ordering, and event cheese-plate catering.

Product overview

Het Hinkelspel is an artisan cheese-making cooperative company that produces a portfolio of specialty cheeses from raw, organic milk. The core products include Goudse boerenkaas varieties (Bellie, Herbie with six herb variants, CabriOgand, and Dulses), red bacterium washed-rind cheeses (Pas de Rouge, Toine, Cabriolait), and blue mold cheese (Pas de Bleu). The company also offers its own branded beer (Lousberg Tripel). Beyond their own production, they retail and distribute artisan cheeses from other makers. The business operates through retail stores in Gent and Sleidinge, a wholesale distribution arm, and cheese plate catering services. The company operates as a cooperative (CV) with worker-members and silent partners, founded in 1983.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bellie (Goudse boerenkaas) A Dutch farmer's Gouda-style cheese made from raw cow's milk, available in young, lightly aged, and aged varieties. It is one of Het Hinkelspel's flagship artisan cheeses.
• Herbie (Goudse boerenkaas with herbs) A Gouda-style farmer's cheese with herbs added to the curds, produced in six variants including pepper and garlic, cumin, nettle, Italian herbs (Latino), and fenugreek.
• CabriOgand (Goudse boerenkaas from goat's milk) A Gouda-style farmer's cheese made from goat's milk, produced in the same style as Bellie and Herbie, including a lightly aged variant with a stronger flavor as well as fenugreek and Latino versions.
• Pas de Rouge (red bacterium cow's milk cheese) A red-bacterium cheese made from cow's milk in which the curd is gently worked and the red bacterium is allowed to act on the rind, producing a reddish appearance and the distinctive flavor of washed-rind processing.
• Toine (red bacterium cheese with garlic and pink pepper) A red-bacterium cheese produced the same way as Pas de Rouge but with garlic and ground pink pepper added for a more intense flavor profile.
• Cabriolait (red bacterium goat's milk cheese) A red-bacterium cheese made from goat's milk with a washed rind, offering a finer texture and lower fat content than cow's milk versions, ready for consumption after approximately 6 weeks of aging.
• Pas de Bleu (blue mold cheese) A blue-mold cheese made by manually salting and then adding Penicillium roqueforti using long needles to allow the mold to develop throughout the heart of the cheese, producing blue veining and a distinctive pungency. Also available in a goat's milk version.
• Dulses (Goudse cheese with red seaweed) A Gouda-style cheese made with red seaweed (Dulses) from a bay on the Breton coast and a hint of garlic, also available in a smoked version.
• Lousberg Tripel A blonde tripel beer with floral aroma and hints of citrus and honey, brewed and bottled by Proefbrouwerij in Lochristi specifically for Het Hinkelspel, available in 33cl and 75cl bottles and refermented in the bottle. Designed as a pairing for Het Hinkelspel's cheeses, served at 8-10°C.
• Cheese Plates (Kaasschotels) Custom-prepared cheese platters featuring a selection of soft and hard cheeses from cow's, goat's, and sheep's milk, presented on wooden boards with dried fruits and nuts. Main course (250g cheese per person, €16.50 pp; with bread €21.00 pp) and dessert (125g cheese per person, €9.50 pp; with bread €13.00 pp) options are available, alongside buffet options, for family celebrations, cheese-and-wine evenings, and casual gatherings.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% organic/raw milk cheeses since 2001
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Cuore di PugliacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerItalian cheesemakers based in Gent who produce burrata, mozzarella, and ricotta sold at Het Hinkelspel. Their burrata is made from cow's milk using traditional Puglian methods. This partnership provides additional Italian artisan cheese products to complement Hinkelspel's own production.
• Proefbrouwerij (Lochristi)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal brewery in Lochristi that brews and bottles the Lousberg tripel specifically for Het Hinkelspel. This 100% natural product undergoes secondary fermentation in the bottle (hergisting op de fles). The beer is designed as a perfect companion for Hinkelspel cheeses, served at 8-10°C in 33cl and 75cl bottles.
• Copain (Gent)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorArtisan bread makers in Gent who supply bread for cheese plates at the Gent store. Part of the Lousbergmarkt community of local food producers.
• De VroenteminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal and organic vegetable producer located at Lousbergmarkt alongside Het Hinkelspel's Gent store. Part of the covered market community of artisan food producers.
• Biobakkerij De Trog (Sleidinge)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOrganic bakery in Sleidinge that supplies bread for cheese plates at the Sleidinge store location.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Beemster: Larger Dutch premium Gouda cheese brand produced by CONO, sold globally through retail and foodservice. Comparable to Het Hinkelspel in Gouda-style cheese category and emphasis on traditional, raw-milk-style maturation, but at industrial scale.
• Albert Heijn Belgium: Dutch-origin supermarket chain operating in Belgium with curated cheese counters and an expanding premium/artisan range. Comparable to Het Hinkelspel in selling specialty cheese at retail in Flanders, though as a broad incumbent rather than a specialist.
• Cono Kaasmakers: Dutch dairy cooperative producing premium Gouda-style cheeses (including the Old Amsterdam brand) with a cooperative governance model similar in form to Het Hinkelspel, though at far larger scale. Comparable as a cooperative-structured Gouda producer but operating at industrial rather than artisan scale.
• Colruyt Group: Leading Belgian retail group (Colruyt, OKay, Bio-Planet) with a broad supermarket presence across Flanders that competes for the same artisan/organic cheese shopper and horeca accounts. Comparable as a Flanders-based retail competitor in cheese assortment.
• Ahold Delhaize Belgium (Delhaize): Major Belgian supermarket chain selling a wide assortment of cheeses including artisan/organic lines. Comparable to Het Hinkelspel in sourcing and stocking Belgian artisan cheese for Flemish consumers, but at mass-market retail scale rather than specialist scale.
• Zingerman's: US specialty food group founded as a delicatessen, now spanning cheese, bakery, coffee, and catering businesses with both retail and wholesale arms. Comparable to Het Hinkelspel in combining a destination cheese retail experience with foodservice supply and a craft/cooperative-adjacent ethos.

Direct peers

• Murray's Cheese: New York-based artisan cheese retailer with multiple storefronts, a wholesale program serving restaurants, and a strong e-commerce presence. Comparable to Het Hinkelspel's combination of curated retail, foodservice supply, and online ordering for specialty cheese.
• Neal's Yard Dairy: Iconic UK artisan cheese retailer and wholesaler operating from London (Borough Market) and Covent Garden, sourcing and maturing farmhouse cheeses from British and European producers, with wholesale to restaurants and an online shop. Closely mirrors Het Hinkelspel's combined retailer + wholesale + affineur model for artisan cheese.
• Jasper Hill Farm: US artisan cheese maker and affineur based in Vermont, operating its own creamery, aging cellars, and direct-to-consumer and wholesale distribution channels. Directly comparable to Het Hinkelspel in being a craft producer that controls aging and sells through both retail and horeca/retailer channels.
• Di Bruno Bros. Philadelphia artisan cheese and specialty foods retailer with multiple locations, foodservice wholesale, and an online storefront. Comparable to Het Hinkelspel in combining brick-and-mortar cheese retail, curation of other makers' cheeses, and wholesale to horeca.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/hethinkelspel
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/het-hinkelspel

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Hopscotch