Cracker Barrel Cheese
Cracker Barrel Cheese is a US cheddar and specialty cheese brand under Lactalis Heritage Dairy that sells blocks, slices, cracker cuts, cubes, bites, and sticks/bars across more than 17 flavors through national retail grocery, serving everyday and entertaining consumer occasions.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1954
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Cracker Barrel Cheese does
Cracker Barrel Cheese is a US cheddar cheese brand founded in 1954 by Kraft and now owned by Lactalis Heritage Dairy, Inc., a subsidiary of Lactalis USA within the privately held French dairy group Lactalis. The brand sells a single-category cheese portfolio—cheddar and adjacent specialty cheeses—across six format families (blocks, slices, cracker cuts, cubes, bites, and sticks/bars) and more than 17 flavor varieties. Its core production technology rests on proprietary heirloom starter cultures that have been maintained for more than half a century and a multi-stage aging and grading process whose output is finished in foil packaging designed to prevent light oxidation and moisture variation.
The company is a vertically integrated packaged-goods brand under Lactalis, with all physical production performed in shared Lactalis dairy operations and brand-level activity concentrated in marketing, innovation, and retail execution. Revenue is generated through wholesale sales to US retail grocery chains (ShopRite, Giant Foods, Meijer, and others), with retail price points set by retailers rather than the brand. A consumer-facing website hosts a recipe and pairing library and a product locator that maps SKUs to nearby stores. Reach is confined to the United States.
Brand-level activity is led by a small marketing organization: Amanda Vaal (Brand Director) and Mallory Loeffler (Brand Manager) run consumer marketing, influencer programs, and product launches. Recent strategic moves include a 2024 launch of Truffle Cheddar and Dill Havarti artisan flavors, anniversary marketing featuring Bravo personality Craig Conover, wine and sommelier partnerships (Hampton Water, Joel Gott Wines, André Hueston Mack), and a February 2025 deployment of 50 AI-powered autonomous refrigerated delivery robots in New Orleans as a large-scale event marketing activation.
Cracker Barrel Cheese firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cracker Barrel Cheese
- Legal name
- Lactalis Heritage Dairy, Inc.
- Website
- https://crackerbarrelcheese.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1954
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Cracker Barrel Cheese is a US cheddar and specialty cheese brand under Lactalis Heritage Dairy that sells blocks, slices, cracker cuts, cubes, bites, and sticks/bars across more than 17 flavors through national retail grocery, serving everyday and entertaining consumer occasions.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cracker Barrel Cheese industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Natural Cheese
- NAICS
- Cheese Manufacturing (311513)
- SIC
- Dairy Products (2020), Food And Kindred Products (2000)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cheese Packaging & Portioning (Retail Packs, Snack Packs, Singles) (AFAHABAI)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Processed Cheese & Cheese Spreads Manufacturing (Slices, Loaves, Spreadable) (AFAHABAD)
Keywords
Where Cracker Barrel Cheese is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Cracker Barrel Cheese business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel
Revenue model
- Cheese Product Sales: Cracker Barrel Cheese generates revenue through the sale of cheese products in various formats including blocks, slices, cracker cuts, cubes, bites, sticks, and bars. Products are sold through retail grocery stores across the United States.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels7 records
Cracker Barrel Cheese product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cracker Barrel Cheese manufactures and sells branded cheddar and specialty cheese products in multiple formats (blocks, slices, cracker cuts, cubes, bites, sticks & bars) with over 17 flavor varieties for U.S. consumers. The brand's portfolio spans everyday snacking, cooking, entertaining, and on-the-go consumption use cases, and is anchored by proprietary heirloom starter cultures maintained for more than 50 years. Products are sold through major U.S. retail grocery chains.
Product overview
Cracker Barrel Cheese is a premium cheese brand offering a unified portfolio of cheddar and specialty cheese products. The core product lineup consists of six main formats: Blocks (classic cheese blocks), Slices (sandwich-ready slices), Cracker Cuts (pre-cut for crackers), Cubes (snacking-sized pieces), Bites (cheese with crackers/pretzels), and Sticks & Bars (individually wrapped on-the-go formats). The portfolio features over 17 flavor varieties including Sharp Yellow, Extra Sharp Yellow, Extra Sharp White, Vermont Sharp White, Asiago, Gouda, Mixed Reserve, and Cheddar Jack. In March 2024, the company expanded into premium artisan flavors with Truffle Cheddar and Dill Havarti additions. All products are characterized by the brand's proprietary heirloom starter cultures used for over half a century, providing rich and bold flavor. The products are available across the United States and marketed by Lactalis Heritage Dairy.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Blocks Classic cheddar cheese blocks in various sharpness levels, ready to serve however consumers prefer.
- Slices Versatile pre-sliced cheddar cheese for sandwiches or serving on its own.
- Cracker Cuts Cheddar cheese pre-cut to fit atop crackers, designed for entertaining and snacking.
- Cubes Cheddar cheese cubed for elevated snacking at home or on the go, including varieties such as Vermont Sharp White Cheddar & Gouda.
- Bites Bite-sized cuts of two kinds of cheese paired with mini crackers or pretzels in individually sealed portions for on-the-go snacking.
- Sticks & Bars Individually wrapped cheese bars and sticks in Sharp Yellow Cheddar, Extra Sharp Yellow, Extra Sharp White, Cheddar Jack, and Jalapeño Cheddar varieties for grab-and-go consumption.
- Truffle Cheddar Premium artisan flavor featuring smooth and creamy White Cheddar paired with earthy, robust truffle taste.
- Dill Havarti Premium artisan flavor combining mild and buttery Havarti cheese with distinct herbal dill taste.
Companies that use Cracker Barrel Cheese
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Cracker Barrel Cheese technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability1 record
Feature1 record
Cracker Barrel Cheese partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- Anthony 'Spice' AdamsminorFormer professional football player, actor, and television host Anthony 'Spice' Adams partnered with Cracker Barrel Cheese for the deployment of 50 AI-powered delivery robots in New Orleans during a major sporting event, promoting the brand's cheese sticks.
- Craig ConoverminorBravo star Craig Conover from Southern Charm partnered with Cracker Barrel Cheese to celebrate the brand's 70th anniversary, creating three signature charcuterie boards: Holiday Board, Impressive Board, and Celebration Board.
- Hampton Water WineminorCracker Barrel Cheese partnered with Hampton Water Wine for summer marketing campaigns featuring wine and cheese pairing recommendations. The partnership included sommelier André Hueston Mack creating tasting notes pairing Cracker Barrel cheeses with Hampton Water Rosé.
- Joel Gott WinesminorCracker Barrel Cheese partnered with Joel Gott Wines for summer marketing campaigns. The 815 Cabernet Sauvignon was paired with Cracker Barrel Extra Sharp Yellow Cheddar and Vermont Sharp White Cheddar & Gouda Cubes.
- André Hueston MackminorRenowned sommelier André Hueston Mack created wine and cheese pairing recommendations for Cracker Barrel's summer campaign, highlighting the versatility of the brand's cheese products for various entertaining occasions.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Cracker Barrel Cheese competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Boar's Head: Premium deli and packaged cheese brand competing in sliced and block cheddar at retail and deli counter. Similar 100+ year heritage story and focus on flavor quality, directly contesting Cracker Barrel at the premium end of the category.
- Tillamook: Premium cheddar and natural cheese brand with strong national distribution, farmer-owned cooperative identity, and a similar premium-positioning playbook. Direct competitor in block and sliced cheddar at the same major retail accounts.
- Cabot Creamery: Cooperative-owned cheddar and natural cheese brand with broad retail distribution in blocks, slices and snack formats. Comparable mid-premium positioning, Vermont-sharp heritage branding, and overlapping charcuterie/entertaining occasion use cases.
- Crystal Farms: Mid-tier packaged cheese brand (sliced, shredded, snack cheese) with broad mass-market retail distribution. Direct competitor in the value and mid-tier sliced/portion segments where Cracker Barrel's basic SKUs compete on price and shelf position.
- Galbani: Italian-style and natural cheese brand owned by Lactalis, sharing the same parent company and overlapping US retail distribution. Sister-brand peer competing for the same shelf space and shopper basket, particularly in mozzarella, ricotta and Italian cheese adjacencies.
- Sargento: US natural cheese brand competing in sliced, shredded and snack cheese formats (sticks, cubes, cracker cuts) across the same retail grocery channel. Closest direct competitor in the portioned/portable cheese segment where Cracker Barrel has its fastest-growing SKUs.
- The Laughing Cow (Bel Brands): Portioned, single-serve cheese wedges and snack cheese products sold through US grocery. Comparable format innovation and on-the-go snacking positioning, with overlapping consumer occasions (lunchbox, portable snacking).
- Kraft Natural Cheese: Natural cheese portfolio retained by Lactalis following the 2016 acquisition of Kraft's natural cheese business, including the original Cracker Barrel launch. Competes in the same cheddar and natural cheese set with mass-market positioning and similar retailer relationships.
- Land O'Lakes: Major US dairy cooperative with a sizable natural cheese business (cheddar, Italian, sliced) distributed through the same grocery channel. Broad-line competitor overlapping in block, sliced and shred cheese categories at every major US retailer.
Emerging players
- Cacique: Hispanic-style and natural cheese brand with growing US retail distribution in shred, crumble, and stick formats. Emerging competitor in single-serve and snacking cheese where Cracker Barrel's sticks and bars compete, particularly in Hispanic-heavy retail accounts.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat2 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Cracker Barrel Cheese social profiles
Digital presenceCracker Barrel Cheese compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Cracker Barrel Cheese financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cracker Barrel Cheese leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Cracker Barrel Cheese funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cracker Barrel 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 Cracker Barrel Cheese
What does Cracker Barrel Cheese do?
Cracker Barrel Cheese manufactures and sells branded cheddar and specialty cheese products in multiple formats (blocks, slices, cracker cuts, cubes, bites, sticks & bars) with over 17 flavor varieties for U.S. consumers. The brand's portfolio spans everyday snacking, cooking, entertaining, and on-the-go consumption use cases, and is anchored by proprietary heirloom starter cultures maintained for more than 50 years. Products are sold through major U.S. retail grocery chains.
Is Cracker Barrel Cheese a public or private company?
Cracker Barrel Cheese is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Cracker Barrel Cheese founded?
Cracker Barrel Cheese was founded in 1954. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Cracker Barrel Cheese based?
Cracker Barrel Cheese is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does Cracker Barrel Cheese make money?
One revenue line is on record: cheese Product Sales.
Who are Cracker Barrel Cheese's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Boar's Head, Tillamook, Cabot Creamery, Crystal Farms, Galbani, Sargento, The Laughing Cow (Bel Brands), Kraft Natural Cheese and Land O'Lakes. Cacique is listed as an emerging player.
Does Cracker Barrel Cheese have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cracker Barrel Cheese.
What industry is Cracker Barrel Cheese in?
Cracker Barrel Cheese's product category is Natural Cheese. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAHABAI, Cheese Packaging & Portioning (Retail Packs, Snack Packs, Singles), with a secondary code of AFAHABAD, Processed Cheese & Cheese Spreads Manufacturing (Slices, Loaves, Spreadable). Its NAICS code is 311513 and its SIC code is 2020.