Crystal Springs Cheese

What Crystal Springs Cheese does

Crystal Springs Cheese is a family-owned, vertically integrated artisanal dairy manufacturer headquartered in Lethbridge County, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1984 and restructured around cheese production in 2005 when Evert and Jannie Beijer purchased the cheese factory, the company produces cheese, yogurt, curds, A2 milk, cultured butter, sour cream, cottage cheese, and whipping cream from milk sourced exclusively from its own 100% A2A2-certified dairy herd. The dairy farm sits adjacent to the 14,000 sq ft processing facility, enabling a same-day milk pipeline and a 3-day farm-to-shelf turnaround for made-to-order yogurt. The product line has expanded substantially since the 2005 first batch of feta, now encompassing roughly 40 active SKUs under the Crystal Springs cheese brand and the Bles Wold retail brand acquired in March 2019 from Hennie and Tinie Bos.

The business operates three distinct channels: direct-to-consumer through an on-site farm store and cafe (added in 2018, 650 sq ft with viewing windows into the factory); wholesale to grocery retailers across Canada via a public store-locator network; and bulk/foodservice distribution of feta and other cheeses to restaurants and cheese-cutting facilities coast-to-coast. Pricing is unit-based at retail (for example, 650g 2% Strawberry yogurt at $7.19 CAD), while wholesale pricing is direct-contact. The company employs approximately 20 or more people, is led today by founder Evert Beijer alongside sons Jacco (Process Manager and Cheese Maker, Guelph University-trained) and Harvey (Maintenance, Renovation, Sales and Marketing).

The underlying production technology is traditional rather than automated: artisanal cheese-making and yogurt production methods using A2A2 milk, supported by a 10-year herd-breeding program with individual-cow DNA testing and segregated milk collection. The differentiator is biological (pure A2 milk supply) and operational (farm-adjacent plant enabling 3-day shelf turnaround), not technological. Crystal Springs is privately held with no disclosed external investors, parent company, or capital raises, and operates as a multi-generational family business that marked its 20th anniversary in June 2025.

Name

Crystal Springs Cheese

Legal name

Crystal Springs Cheese

Website

https://crystalspringscheese.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Family-owned artisanal dairy in Lethbridge County, Alberta, producing cheese, yogurt, and dairy products from its own 100% A2A2-certified herd via farm store, wholesale grocery, and foodservice channels across Canada.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Artisan Cheese & Dairy Products

NAICS

Cheese Manufacturing (311513), Dairy Product (except Frozen) Manufacturing (31151)

SIC

Dairy Products (2020)

akta.pro primary industry

Ripened Natural Cheese Manufacturing (Semi-Soft, Hard & Blue) (AFAHABAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Fresh/Natural Cheese Manufacturing (Unripened & Soft) (AFAHABAA)

Keywords

• Artisan cheese production
• A2 dairy products
• Artisan yogurt manufacturing
• On-farm dairy processing
• Fresh dairy distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Lethbridge County

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Retail Product Sales: The company generates revenue through direct sales of cheese, yogurt, milk, butter, and other dairy products to consumers at their farm store and café.
2. Wholesale Distribution: Bulk and wholesale distribution of dairy products including feta cheese sold coast-to-coast to restaurants and cheese cutting facilities. Products also sold through grocery retail chains.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Crystal Springs Cheese is a family-owned dairy manufacturer that produces artisan cheeses, yogurts, and dairy products from A2 milk sourced from their own dairy herd located next to the processing facility in Lethbridge County, Alberta. The company manufactures and sells cheese (Asiago, Gouda, Havarti, Cheddar, Swiss, Feta, and cheese curds in multiple flavors), a full yogurt line (2% stirred, Greek-style, and Quark), A2 milk, cultured butter, sour cream, cottage cheese, and whipping cream, and operates an on-site farm store and café for direct-to-consumer sales. Products are distributed wholesale to grocery retailers and foodservice operators across Canada.

Product overview

Crystal Springs Cheese is a family-owned dairy manufacturing company that operates as a single integrated operation producing a diverse portfolio of artisan cheeses, yogurts, and dairy products. The company operates a unified product line under the Bles Wold brand (acquired in 2019), supplemented by their Crystal Springs artisan cheese line. The portfolio consists of: artisan cheeses (Asiago, multiple varieties of Gouda, Havarti, Cheddar, Swiss, and bulk Feta); fresh cheese curds in six flavors; a comprehensive yogurt line including 2% stirred yogurts (6 flavors), Greek-style yogurts (4 flavors), and high-protein Quark yogurts (2 flavors); A2 milk in two sizes; cultured butter in salted and unsalted varieties; and ancillary dairy products including sour cream, cottage cheese, and whipping cream. The company also operates an on-site Farm Store and Farm Cafe. Products are differentiated through use of A2 protein milk from their own herd (certified 100% A2A2 since December 2021), farm-to-shelf freshness timelines (yogurt in 3 days), and artisanal production methods. The company operates on a made-to-order basis for yogurts with 3-day farm-to-shelf timelines and produces cheese curds fresh every Thursday.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bles Wold: Premium dairy product line including yogurt, quark, and dairy products acquired in 2019 from Hennie and Tinie Bos. Products produced on the Beyer family farm (Crystal Springs Dairy).

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Bles Wold (Hennie and Tinie Bos)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2019In summer 2018, Hennie and Tinie Bos (original owners of Bles Wold yogurt brand from Lacombe, Alberta) approached Crystal Springs about taking over their business as they wanted to retire. After consideration, Crystal Springs acquired the Bles Wold brand on March 1, 2019. Bles Wold moved into Crystal Springs' facility and all retail products were eventually rebranded under the Bles Wold label.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Stonyfield Farm: US-based organic yogurt and dairy producer with strong farm-to-shelf brand heritage. Comparable in yogurt-and-broader-dairy portfolio with premium, organic/natural positioning aimed at health-conscious consumers.
• Agropur: Major Canadian dairy cooperative producing cheese, milk, yogurt, butter, and ingredients across North America. Comparable as a much larger Canadian dairy incumbent with overlapping product categories.
• Saputo: One of the largest dairy processors in Canada and globally, manufacturing cheese, milk, yogurt, and dairy ingredients. Comparable as a competing Canadian dairy player, though Saputo operates at mass scale rather than the artisanal niche.

Direct peers

• Straus Family Creamery: California-based family-owned organic dairy producing milk, butter, yogurt, and ice cream from a vertically integrated farm. Comparable in farm-to-shelf narrative, family-owned structure, and premium positioning.
• Bothwell Cheese: Canadian artisanal cheese manufacturer producing cheddar, mozzarella, and specialty cheese varieties. Comparable as a small-to-mid Canadian cheese maker with similar product breadth and foodservice/retail distribution.
• The a2 Milk Company: Public A2-focused dairy company selling A2 milk, infant formula, and dairy products globally. Directly comparable in A2 protein differentiation, though at vastly larger scale and broader product footprint than Crystal Springs.
• Glengarry Fine Cheese: Eastern Ontario artisan cheese maker producing traditional and specialty cheeses (similar to Crystal Springs' Gouda, Cheddar, Asiago). Comparable in Canadian artisanal positioning and farm-to-table narrative.
• Van Rob Farms / Maple Dale Cheese: Ontario-based family-run artisan cheese maker producing cheddars, curds, and specialty cheeses. Highly comparable in scale, family-owned structure, and artisanal cheese positioning.

Emerging players

• Lifeway Foods: US-based specialty dairy company producing kefir, probiotic dairy drinks, and yogurt. Comparable in specialty/probiotic dairy positioning targeting health-conscious consumers, though with a different primary product focus.

Regional players

• Organic Meadow: Canadian organic dairy cooperative producing milk, yogurt, butter, cheese, and eggs from Ontario farmers. Comparable as a Canadian regional dairy player with a farm-to-consumer storytelling and natural/organic positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/bleswoldyogurt
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/crystal-springs-cheese

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Crystal Springs Cheese