Cracker Barrel Cheese

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.

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

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

• Cheddar cheese products
• Natural cheese
• Cheese snacks
• Specialty cheese
• Dairy packaged goods

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

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, Marketing or Sales, Personnel

Revenue model

1. 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

Core 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.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Anthony 'Spice' AdamsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 4 February 2025Former 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 ConoverminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 October 2024Bravo 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 WineminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 21 May 2024Cracker 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 WinesminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 21 May 2024Cracker 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 MackminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 21 May 2024Renowned 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

Direct 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

• Facebookfacebook.com/CrackerBarrelCheese
• Instagraminstagram.com/crackerbarrelcheese
• TikToktiktok.com/@crackerbarrelchee
• Pinterestpinterest.com/CBCheese/_created
• Xx.com/CBCheeses

Compliance3 records

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 Cracker Barrel Cheese