What The Cheese Maker does

The Cheese Maker (operating as TheCheeseMaker.com) is a US-based direct-to-consumer e-commerce retailer founded in 2005 and acquired in early 2021 by owners Lisa and Dan Calkins, who operate the business from Arizona. The company sells home cheesemaking ingredients and equipment — including cheese cultures (mesophilic, thermophilic, Camembert/Brie, blue, ripening, kefir, yogurt), rennet (veal calf, chymosin, microbial vegetarian, organic), lipase, calcium chloride, cheese salt, annatto, edible ash, and natamycin — alongside equipment (cheese moulds, Dutch and spring-loaded presses, butter presses, utensils, thermometers/salometers/humidity meters, draining mats and bags, aging containers, waxes, brushes, cheese cloth, sanitizers, gloves), instructional books, and comprehensive kits. It distributes cultures from multiple major industry suppliers (Danisco/DuPont, Lallemand, CHR Hansen, LyoPro, Walcoren) and operates proprietary brands theMilkman® (dairy culture packets) and MinusMilk® (vegan/non-dairy cultures), giving the catalog breadth across dairy, vegetarian, and plant-based applications including yogurt, kefir, butter, and vegan cheese.

The storefront runs on BigCommerce with same-day shipping Monday through Saturday, free standard shipping on US orders over $45, and a separate wholesale section for B2B buyers. The go-to-market is content-led: the website combines a recipe library, blog, and detailed product descriptions as top-of-funnel acquisition, supplemented by an email newsletter, a customer referral program, and gift certificates as repeat/word-of-mouth drivers. Functional support is provided directly via phone (877-424-3393) and email ([email protected]), including guidance on cheese style, ingredient selection, and technique.

The business model is straightforward transactional retail with pay-as-you-go unit pricing across three implicit tiers: individual ingredients and supplies (roughly $10-$60 per item), comprehensive cheesemaking kits ($49-$449+), and wholesale bulk pricing via the dedicated B2B section. Pricing carries no subscription layer and no tiered SaaS components. Customer concentration is diffuse: the primary segment is individual hobbyists and home cheesemakers (including beginners through advanced artisans making cheese, yogurt, kefir, butter, and vegan alternatives), with a secondary wholesale segment composed of small artisan producers and food businesses sourcing bulk ingredients and equipment. No public revenue, headcount, or funding is disclosed; the company is privately held, bootstrapped, and owner-operated, with no app or public API offering.

Name

The Cheese Maker

Legal name

TheCheeseMaker.com

Website

https://thecheesemaker.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Cheese Maker (TheCheeseMaker.com) is a privately held, US-based direct-to-consumer e-commerce retailer founded in 2005 and now owner-operated from Arizona, selling cheese cultures, rennet, equipment, kits, instructional books, and proprietary theMilkman® and MinusMilk® culture brands to home cheesemakers, hobbyists, and small artisan producers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Home Cheesemaking Supplies

NAICS

Dairy Product (except Dried or Canned) Merchant Wholesalers (424430)

SIC

Dairy Products (2020)

akta.pro primary industry

Cheese Wholesale (AFAIAEAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Private Label & Contract Cheese Manufacturing (AFAHABAJ)

Keywords

• Home cheesemaking supplies
• Cheese cultures and rennet
• Artisan cheesemaking kits
• Cheese making equipment
• Yogurt and kefir supplies

Headquarters

HQ city

Scottsdale

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Product Sales: The company generates revenue through the direct sale of cheese making ingredients (cultures, rennet, additives), equipment (moulds, presses, thermometers), and comprehensive cheesemaking kits to at-home artisans and hobbyists. Both retail and wholesale pricing tiers are available.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Cheese Maker retails cheese making cultures, rennet, ingredients, equipment, and educational materials to home cheesemakers, hobbyists, and small artisan producers through its own e-commerce storefront. It also sells bundled cheesemaking, yogurt, and kefir kits, a vegan/plant-based cheesemaking line under its proprietary MinusMilk® brand, and offers wholesale pricing on bulk supplies.

Product overview

The Cheese Maker is an e-commerce retailer specializing in home and artisan cheese making supplies. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of products organized into several categories: (1) Cultures including Mesophilic, Thermophilic, Camembert/Brie, and Blue Cheese cultures from brands like Danisco, theMilkman, LyoPro, and Lallemand, plus proprietary sub-brands theMilkman® and MinusMilk® for vegan/non-dairy applications; (2) Ingredients including various rennet types (Veal Calf, Chymosin, Microbial Vegetarian, Organic), Lipase, Calcium Chloride, Citric/Tartaric Acid, Annatto coloring, Cheese Salt, Edible Ash, and Natamycin mold inhibitor; (3) Equipment including Cheese Moulds (stainless steel and polypropylene in various shapes), Cheese Presses (Dutch hardwood and spring-loaded), Butter Presses (handcrafted Wisconsin maple/walnut/cherry), Utensils, Thermometers/Salometers/Humidity Meters, Draining Mats/Bags/Platforms, Aging Containers, Cheese Wax & Brushes, Cheese Cloth & Wrapping Paper, and Sanitizers & Gloves; (4) Kits including Deluxe multi-style kits, theMilkman® introductory starter kits, Yogurt kits with incubators, Kefir kits, and Butter/Buttermilk kits; (5) Educational materials including books and recipe guides; and (6) Vegan/Plant-Based product lines. The company operates primarily as a B2C e-commerce platform without a public API offering.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• theMilkman®: Proprietary culture brand including ready-to-use culture packets, rennet, and calcium chloride products for home cheesemaking

Products and services

• Cheese Cultures

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered foundational, core and minor.

• Steve Shapson (Founder)foundationalOthers · 1 January 2021Steve Shapson founded The Cheese Maker in 2005 with a single Camembert & Brie home cheesemaking kit. He authored the Camembert, Brie & Blue Cheese Guide and developed the company's knowledge base and product curation approach. Steve continues to provide guidance, including oversight of Kosher rennet repackaging procedures following the loss of Kosher supervision.
• Danisco (DuPont)coreTechnology or IntegrationThe Cheese Maker is a retailer of Danisco cultures for cheesemaking, including mesophilic cultures (MM100, MA11, Flora Danica, MD 88-89, etc.), thermophilic cultures (TA 61-62, LH 100, Su Casu, TM 81, etc.), and adjunct cultures. Danisco is a major supplier of dairy cultures to the commercial and artisan cheese industry.
• LallemandcoreTechnology or IntegrationThe Cheese Maker distributes Lallemand products including Penicillium Candidum (Velv-Top PC TN), Geotrichum Candidum (Flav-Antage — a dairy-free option), and other ripening cultures used in bloomy rind and artisan cheese production.
• CHR HansencoreTechnology or IntegrationThe Cheese Maker offers CHR Hansen cultures including the ABY3 probiotic yogurt culture, which produces mild, thick, and creamy yogurt in 20-batch standard packs or 50U bulk packs.
• theMilkman® (Proprietary Brand)coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnertheMilkman® is a proprietary brand exclusively distributed through The Cheese Maker, offering easy-to-use, product-specific culture packets (Camembert, Mozzarella, Blue Cheese, Chevre, Cottage Cheese, Butter, Kefir, Yogurt, etc.) with optional free recipe cards. Each packet makes 12-32 batches of cheese.
• MinusMilk® (Proprietary Brand)minorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerMinusMilk® is a proprietary non-dairy/vegan brand exclusive to The Cheese Maker, offering thermophilic non-dairy cultures (TSC), probiotic fermentation blends (PFB), and vegan Greek yogurt cultures (GYC, TART, MMY) for plant and nut-based cheese and butter production.
• WalcorencoreTechnology or IntegrationWalcoren supplies veal calf rennet (both liquid and dry forms) and microbial rennet tablets to The Cheese Maker. Walcoren products are available in various sizes from retail to wholesale gallon quantities.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Sur La Table: National specialty kitchen retailer carrying curated cheesemaking kits, moulds, and accessories alongside a much broader cookware assortment — competes for the same home cook/hobbyist buyer at higher scale and with broader brand reach.
• Murray's Cheese: Established specialty cheese retailer and wholesaler with national recognition, classes, and an online store; broader cheese-focused portfolio but overlaps with The Cheese Maker in artisan/home cheesemaker education, equipment, and supplies adjacent to retail cheese sales.

Direct peers

• Cultures for Health: Direct-to-consumer retailer of fermentation cultures (yogurt, kefir, cheese, vegetables) and cheesemaking supplies — overlaps heavily with The Cheese Maker's culture, kefir, and yogurt categories and serves the same at-home fermentation hobbyist segment.
• Leeners: Specialty retailer of cheesemaking kits, cultures, and supplies for home cheesemakers — directly comparable starter-kit-focused product line and hobbyist customer base.
• Hoegger Cheese Supply: Specialty retailer of cheesemaking cultures, rennet, equipment, and starter kits serving home cheesemakers — closely comparable product range, target customer, and DTC distribution model.
• Dairy Connection: Supplier of cheesemaking cultures, rennet, and dairy processing ingredients serving both home cheesemakers and small commercial producers — directly comparable wholesale/DTC operations and overlapping supplier relationships (e.g., Danisco cultures).
• New England Cheesemaking Supply Company: Long-established direct-to-consumer retailer of cheesemaking supplies, cultures, rennet, equipment, and kits serving home and small artisan cheesemakers — the most direct head-to-head competitor in the same niche category with overlapping product lines and customer segments.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/thecheesemaker
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-cheese-maker

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 Cheese Maker