The Cheshire Cheese Company

What The Cheshire Cheese Company does

The Cheshire Cheese Company is a family-run, privately held artisan cheese manufacturer and direct-to-consumer gifting business operating from Laurels Farm in Nantwich, Cheshire, with cheesemaking heritage dating to 1957. The company produces a range of over 20 waxed cheese truckles (200g individual, 1kg and 2kg wheels) spanning traditional Cheshire, Cheddar and Red Leicester bases alongside flavour-infused varieties such as Caramelised Onion & Rioja, Truffle & Black Pepper, Irish Whiskey & Stem Ginger, Jamaican Jerk, and a 2026 Sauce Shop collaboration. Production is vertically integrated using milk sourced exclusively from a dedicated network of Cheshire, Staffordshire and Shropshire farmers who supply the company and its parent, Heler Foods; wax coating extends shelf life to three months minimum.

The company monetises through three primary revenue streams: (1) DTC e-commerce via a Shopify-powered website with Royal Mail Tracked 24 delivery, multibuy bundles, Build Your Own hampers and curated cheese, wine and Port hampers ranging £22.95–£99.95; (2) wholesale and trade distribution through UK national wholesalers to independent farm shops, delis, garden centres and specialist cheese shops, plus overseas importers; and (3) a corporate gifting channel with bulk discounts on 10+ orders and bespoke personalised gift cards. A Cheese Club loyalty programme (Bronze, Silver, Gold tiers) supports retention, and the company is stocked at Selfridges as a flagship department store account.

The customer base spans individual gift buyers and food enthusiasts (primary), corporate and B2B buyers, and independent retailers. Marketing relies on heritage storytelling, a Recipe Hub and Cheese Advice blog content library, 12,000+ verified customer reviews (4.9/5 average), and organic social presence on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. The company deliberately avoids discounter supermarket channels to preserve premium positioning. It is a subsidiary of Heler Foods, operates with 11–50 employees, has not raised institutional funding, and does not publicly disclose revenue.

Name

The Cheshire Cheese Company

Legal name

Cheshire Cheese Company

Website

https://cheshirecheesecompany.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1957

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Cheshire Cheese Company is a family-run artisan cheese manufacturer and DTC gifting brand based at Laurels Farm in Nantwich, Cheshire, producing award-winning waxed cheese truckles, hampers and accompaniments for individual consumers, independent retailers, and corporate gifting buyers across the UK and internationally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Artisan Cheese Manufacturing & Gift Hampers

NAICS

Cheese Manufacturing (311513)

SIC

Dairy Products (2020)

akta.pro primary industry

Cheese Manufacturing (AFAKAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fresh/Natural Cheese Manufacturing (Unripened & Soft) (AFAHABAA), Ripened Natural Cheese Manufacturing (Semi-Soft, Hard & Blue) (AFAHABAB), Cheese Packaging & Portioning (Retail Packs, Snack Packs, Singles) (AFAHABAI)

Keywords

• Artisan cheese production
• Waxed cheese truckles
• Cheese gift hampers
• Cheese accompaniments
• Corporate cheese gifting

Headquarters

HQ city

Nantwich, Cheshire

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Direct-to-Consumer E-Commerce: Online sales through cheshirecheesecompany.co.uk directly to consumers. Individual cheese truckles, multi-buy bundles, cheese hampers, cheese gift boxes and accompaniments sold at various price points (£3.50–£99.95). Orders dispatched Monday–Friday with tracked Royal Mail 24 delivery.
2. Wholesale & Trade Sales: Bulk sales to independent retailers (delis, farm shops, garden centres, specialist cheese shops) and through national UK wholesalers. Products include 200g waxed truckles, 1kg and 2kg waxed wheels, branded biscuits and chutneys. Exclusive to independent retail market — not sold to discounter supermarkets.
3. Corporate Gifting: B2B bulk orders for corporate Christmas gifts and events. Bulk discount available on 10 or more gifts. Bespoke gifting service with personalised gift cards. Coordinated UK delivery.
4. Loyalty Programme (Cheese Club): Points-based loyalty programme (Cheese Club) with tiered membership (Bronze, Silver, Gold). Members earn points per £1 spent, redeemable for discount vouchers. Generates recurring customer engagement and drives repeat purchases.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Cheshire Cheese Company manufactures and sells award-winning waxed cheese truckles (20+ flavour varieties in 200g, 1kg and 2kg formats) along with cheese hampers, gift boxes, artisan biscuits, chutneys and alcoholic pairings. Production takes place at Laurels Farm in Nantwich, Cheshire, with milk sourced exclusively from dedicated Cheshire, Staffordshire and Shropshire farmers. Products are sold direct-to-consumer via the company's e-commerce website, through UK wholesale to independent retailers, and via a corporate gifting programme.

Product overview

The Cheshire Cheese Company is a family-run cheese manufacturer and e-commerce business based at Laurels Farm in Nantwich, Cheshire, operating since 1957. The company produces a portfolio of waxed cheese truckles (20+ varieties) spanning traditional Cheddar, Cheshire, and Red Leicester cheeses alongside contemporary flavoured infusions. The product portfolio is organized around three core pillars: individual cheese truckles (Black Bob Extra Mature Cheddar, Reserva Caramelised Onion & Rioja, Vintage, Smokewood, and 15+ flavoured varieties including Pesto Cheshire, Italiano Tomato & Garlic, El Gringo Tequila, Shamrock Whiskey, Gincello Gin, Hunter Truffle, Masala Mango, and others), cheese hampers and gift sets (Birthday, Anniversary, Congratulations, Thank You, Cheese & Wine, Cheese & Port, Build Your Own, and Curated options ranging from £22.95 to £99.95), and accompaniments (artisan biscuits for cheese, handcrafted chutneys, crackers, olives, charcuterie, and alcoholic beverages for pairing). The company also operates a Cheese Club loyalty program with tiered rewards (Bronze, Silver, Gold), a Recipe Hub, and Trade/Wholesale distribution to independent retailers. All products are available via direct-to-consumer e-commerce with free delivery over £35 and tracked UK Express delivery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cheese That Makes You Grin: Brand tagline/slogan used by the company, representing their playful approach to cheesemaking.

Products and services

• Black Bob - Extra Mature Cheddar Cheese Waxed Truckle 200g Award-winning extra mature cheddar cheese presented in a 200g waxed truckle format, sold to individual consumers for personal consumption or gifting.
• Reserva - Caramelised Onion & Rioja Cheddar Cheese Waxed Truckle 200g 200g waxed truckle of signature cheddar infused with caramelised onion and Rioja, targeting cheese enthusiasts and gift buyers.
• Cheshire - Traditional Creamy Cheshire Cheese Waxed Truckle 200g 200g waxed truckle of traditional creamy Cheshire cheese, the heritage base variety of the company.
• Vintage - Special Aged Mature Cheddar Cheese Waxed Truckle 200g 200g waxed truckle of specially aged mature cheddar cheese, marketed to traditional cheddar enthusiasts.
• Smokewood - Smoked & Aged Red Leicester Cheese Waxed Truckle 200g 200g waxed truckle of award-winning Red Leicester naturally smoked over wood chips.
• Pesto - Traditional Cheshire Cheese with Pesto Waxed Truckle 200g 200g waxed truckle of traditional Cheshire cheese infused with pesto.
• Italiano - Italian Inspired Tomato & Garlic Cheddar Waxed Truckle 200g 200g waxed truckle of cheddar infused with Italian-inspired tomato and garlic.
• El Gringo - Chilli, Lime & Tequila Cheddar Cheese Waxed Truckle 200g 200g waxed truckle of cheddar infused with chilli, lime and tequila.
• Shamrock - Irish Whiskey & Stem Ginger Cheddar Cheese Waxed Truckle 200g 200g waxed truckle of cheddar infused with Irish whiskey and stem ginger.
• Jerk Spice - Chilli & Garlic Cheddar Cheese Waxed Truckle 200g 200g waxed truckle of cheddar infused with Jamaican jerk sauce, chilli and garlic.
• Old Hag - Ale & Mustard Cheddar Cheese Waxed Truckle 200g 200g waxed truckle of cheddar infused with Wincle ale and mustard.
• Gincello - Gin & Lemon Cheshire Cheese Waxed Truckle 200g 200g waxed truckle of Cheshire cheese infused with gin and lemon.
• Hunter - Truffle & Cracked Black Pepper Cheddar Cheese Waxed Truckle 200g 200g waxed truckle of cheddar infused with truffle and cracked black pepper.
• Masala - Spiced Mango Chutney & Nigella Seeds Red Leicester Cheese Waxed Truckle 200g 200g waxed truckle of Red Leicester infused with spiced mango chutney and nigella seeds.
• Charcoal - Charcoal Cheddar Cheese Waxed Truckle 200g 200g waxed truckle of visually distinctive charcoal infused cheddar.
• Original Hot - Sauce Shop x Cheshire Cheese Company Waxed Truckle 200g 200g waxed truckle of cheddar infused with Sauce Shop Original Hot sauce, a limited-edition co-developed product for 2026.
• Cheese Hampers Curated luxury cheese gift hampers combining award-winning waxed cheese truckles with artisan accompaniments, available in multiple configurations (cheese & wine, cheese & chutney, cheese & biscuit, build your own) priced from £22.95 to £99.95.
• Cheese Gift Sets Thoughtful cheese gift boxes positioned for occasions including birthdays, anniversaries, celebrations and thank-you gifts.
• Biscuits for Cheese Artisan savoury biscuits designed to complement cheese varieties, including Black Bob Extra Mature Cheddar Biscuits, Caramelised Onion Biscuits, and Ale and Mustard Biscuits.
• Chutneys for Cheese Handcrafted chutneys designed to complement the cheese range, including caramelised red onion chutney and fig & plum chutney.
• Cheese Multibuys & Pick & Mix Boxes Value-packed bundles of six cheese truckles (identical or mixed Pick & Mix) with multibuy savings, presented in Heritage Cheshire gift boxes. Pick & Mix 6-pack from £29.00.
• Cheeseboard Bundles Curated cheese selections designed for hosting and entertaining, including Traditional Cheeseboard Selection, Party Cheeseboard Collection, and Cheeseboard for Two, priced from £18.20 to £46.95.
• Cheese & Wine Hampers Luxury cheese hampers featuring award-winning waxed cheeses paired with selected red wine, white wine, Prosecco or Champagne, priced from £34.95 to £99.95.
• Cheese & Port Hampers Luxury hampers pairing award-winning cheeses with Graham's Ports including Late Bottled Vintage and Six Grapes Reserve Port.
• Alcoholic Drinks for Cheese Pairing Curated wines (Barton & Guestier Bordeaux, Côtes du Rhône), Prosecco, gin, Graham's Port and Crémant de Bordeaux selected to complement award-winning cheeses.
• Trade & Wholesale Supply Wholesale cheese supply service for delis, farm shops, garden centres, specialist cheese shops and independent retailers across the UK, featuring 200g truckles and 1kg/2kg waxed wheels for chilled cheese cutting counters, distributed through national UK wholesalers.
• Cheese Club Rewards Loyalty Programme Free-to-join tiered loyalty programme (Bronze, Silver, Gold) where members earn 4-5 points per £1 spent, redeemable for discount vouchers (e.g. 400 points = £4), with tiered benefits including birthday vouchers, exclusive discounts and keepsakes.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4.9 out of 5 star average rating based on 12,000+ verified customer reviews
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Graham's (Port Wine)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Graham's for premium Port selection in Cheese & Port Hampers. Includes Graham's 2017 Late Bottled Vintage Port (rich black fruit, plum, subtle spice, oak-matured) and Graham's Six Grapes Reserve Port (velvety texture, blackberry, cherry, dark chocolate). Ports paired specifically with mature Cheddar, Cheshire and blue cheeses.
• Sauce ShopminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSauce Shop collaborated with Cheshire Cheese Company on a limited-edition Original Hot Sauce Shop® x Cheshire Cheese Company waxed cheese truckle for 2026. The fiery sauce shop cheddar combines hot sauce flavours with traditional cheese craft.
• Olives Et AlminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOlives Et Al collaborated on a loaded hummus platter recipe and their olives (Thyme & Shallot Green Olives, Fiery Jalapeño Stuffed Olives, Very Deli Herbed Pitted Olives, Red Pepper Stuffed Olives) are featured as accompaniments in the cheeseboard accompaniments collection.
• UK National WholesalerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with UK-wide national wholesalers distributing Cheshire Cheese Company products (cheese truckles, biscuits and chutneys) to independent retailers including farm shops, delis, garden centres, specialist cheese shops and small department stores across the UK and overseas.
• Heler Foods (Parent Company)coreOthersParent company Hel er Foods. Milk sourced exclusively from a dedicated network of Cheshire, Staffordshire and Shropshire farmers who supply exclusively to Cheshire Cheese Company and Hel er Foods. Vertical integration ensures consistent quality and supply chain control.
• Barton & Guestier (Wine)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBarton & Guestier wines featured in Cheese & Wine Hampers including Bordeaux Rouge, Bordeaux Blanc, Côtes du Rhône and Crémant de Bordeaux — French wines selected to complement award-winning cheese ranges.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Belton Farm: Shropshire-based cheese producer with national wholesale and foodservice distribution. Comparable on UK farmstead cheese manufacturing and B2B/wholesale go-to-market, though less DTC-gift oriented.
• Neal's Yard Dairy: London-based specialist cheese retailer/wholesaler stocking artisan British cheeses with wholesale and DTC channels. Comparable on UK artisan cheese curation, wholesale-to-independents model, and content-led brand authority.
• Godminster: Somerset-based artisan cheese brand famous for its black-wax truckles and DTC gifting. The single closest peer: same waxed-truckle format, similar DTC gift-hamper model, UK independent-retail and farm-shop distribution.
• Long Clawson Dairy: Leicestershire-based cooperative producing Stilton and other cheeses with UK retail and export distribution. Comparable on UK cheese manufacturing scale, farm-to-fork provenance, and independent-retail channel mix.
• Quicke's: Devon-based traditional clothbound cheddar maker with e-commerce gifting, farm-shop and wholesale channels. Directly comparable on product category (aged cheddar), DTC gifting model, and premium independent positioning.
• Wyke Farms: Somerset-based family-run cheddar producer with strong UK heritage, DTC gifting and wholesale distribution. Closely comparable to Cheshire Cheese Company in artisanal cheddar production, UK independent-retail focus, and farm-to-fork positioning.
• The Fine Cheese Co. UK-based artisan cheese gift, biscuit and accompaniment producer with DTC and wholesale channels. Closely comparable on the cheese-gift/hamper/cheeseboard product structure and premium independent positioning.
• Paxton & Whitfield: Long-established UK cheesemonger and retailer with strong DTC cheese gifting, hamper and accompaniments range. Directly comparable on premium cheese gifting model, heritage positioning, and hamper/wine-pairing product structure.

Broad incumbents

• Arla Foods UK: Major UK dairy cooperative producing cheese, butter and other dairy products across retail and foodservice. Comparable as a broad incumbent with overlapping cheese manufacturing capabilities and UK-wide distribution.
• Lactalis UK (formerly Dairy Crest): UK arm of global dairy giant Lactalis; one of the largest UK cheese manufacturers (Cathedral City cheddar and others). Comparable as a much larger UK cheese incumbent operating across grocery, foodservice and export.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cheshire-cheese-company

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Cheshire Cheese Company