La Cloche à Fromage - La Boutique

What La Cloche à Fromage - La Boutique does

La Cloche à Fromage is a French artisanal cheese affineur (cheese aging specialist) and multi-channel retailer founded in 1988 by René Tourrette in Strasbourg, operating under the legal entity CHEESE GOURMET DIFFUSION (SIREN 828 731 414, €328,000 share capital). Its core asset is a 1,500 m³ cave d'affinage with 450 m² of controlled-humidity aging rooms housing over 160 cheese varieties aged using traditional wood racks, spruce boards, and straw. The company distributes through 8 physical boutiques across Alsace and Champagne (Strasbourg, Obernai, Haguenau, Épernay, Saverne, Wissembourg), a full e-commerce site with national Chronofresh delivery, a flagship restaurant in Strasbourg featuring the Guinness World Record cheese bell, Click & Collect services, and dedicated B2B professional supply to ~100 hospitality clients (restaurateurs, caterers, hotels, wine merchants).

Revenue is generated through four streams: retail sales of 126+ cheese varieties plus charcuterie, wines, dairy, and gourmet groceries (€6.50–€20.90 per unit); event catering and platter sales (€42.90–€160 per platter for 4–14 persons); B2B/wholesale supply to hospitality professionals with cheese training programs; and restaurant service. Pricing is unit-based pay-as-you-go across all channels, with delivery fees of €4.90 local (free over €70) and €9.90 national (free over €100). The company serves individual consumers, event organizers, hospitality professionals, and corporate clients through a hybrid segmentation approach combining D2C, field sales, and event-driven motions.

The company employs 43 staff across the maturing cellar, restaurant, and boutiques. Management includes René Tourrette (Chairman/Founder), Luc Ségaux (Director), Yann Coiffet (Cellar Manager), Thibaut Burger (Restaurant Director), Sébastien Lehrer (B2B Commercial), and dedicated boutique managers in each location. It sources from over 100 direct artisan producers across France, Switzerland, Italy, and England, and exports to approximately 10 countries. No external funding rounds, M&A activity, or parent company ownership is disclosed — the business remains family-owned.

Name

La Cloche à Fromage - La Boutique

Legal name

CHEESE GOURMET DIFFUSION

Website

https://fromagerie-tourrette.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

La Cloche à Fromage is a family-owned French artisanal cheese affineur founded in 1988 in Strasbourg, operating 8 retail boutiques, a restaurant featuring the Guinness-record cheese bell, a 1,500 m³ aging cellar, and e-commerce serving D2C consumers, hospitality B2B clients, and event catering.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Cheese Retail and Affinage

NAICS

Other Specialty Food Retailers (44529), Cheese Manufacturing (311513), Food Service Contractors (722310)

SIC

Food And Kindred Products (2000), Wholesale-Groceries, General Line (5141), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Cheese Shops & Fromageries (CRAHAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cheese Aging/Affineur Services (Maturation & Cave-Aging) (AFAHABAH), Ripened Natural Cheese Manufacturing (Semi-Soft, Hard & Blue) (AFAHABAB)

Keywords

• Artisan cheese retail
• Cheese maturation services
• French fromagerie
• Gourmet food distribution
• Fine dining cheese restaurant

Headquarters

HQ city

Strasbourg

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Retail Cheese and Specialty Food Sales: Sale of over 126 cheese varieties plus charcuterie, dairy products, groceries, wines, and gift cards through 8 physical boutiques and online store. Products sourced from over 100 direct artisan producers across France and internationally.
2. Restaurant Service: Fine dining restaurant in Strasbourg offering themed tasting plates, fondue, raclette, and seasonal dishes. Founded in 1988 by René Tourrette. Serves lunch and dinner Monday to Saturday.
3. Event Catering: Custom cheese platters and buffets for events including weddings, corporate events, and celebrations. Includes raclette buffets and on-site maître fromager services.
4. Professional/Wholesale B2B Sales: Dedicated offerings for hospitality professionals including restaurateurs, caterers, retailers, wine merchants, and hotels with customized product ranges and cheese training.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

La Cloche à Fromage is a French artisanal cheese retailer (fromagerie affineur) that matures, curates, and sells over 126 varieties of French AOP cheeses through 8 physical boutiques, an online shop, and a flagship restaurant in Strasbourg. The company operates a 1,500 m³ proprietary aging cellar (450 m² of aging rooms) and sources directly from more than 100 artisan producers across France and internationally, complemented by charcuterie, dairy, wines, and gourmet groceries.

Product overview

La Cloche à Fromage is a French artisanal cheese retailer (fromagerie affineur) offering a comprehensive cheese-focused ecosystem comprising an online shop with over 126 cheese varieties, 8 physical boutiques, a restaurant featuring the world's largest cheese bell, and an in-house maturing cellar. The core offering spans French cheeses (from cow, sheep, and goat milk) organized by terroir and aging type, complemented by raclette and fondue selections, charcuterie, wines, dairy products, and gourmet groceries. Additional services include professional B2B solutions for hospitality businesses, event catering, raclette oven rental, and click-and-collect delivery options.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Artisanal French Cheese Catalog (Fromages) Curated catalog of over 126 varieties of artisanal French AOP/AOC cheeses from regions including Jura, Auvergne, Bourgogne, Normandie, Savoie, Pyrénées, and Alsace, made from cow, sheep, and goat milk with various aging processes. Available via online shop and physical boutiques for individual consumers and hospitality professionals.
• Cheese Platters (Plateaux de Fromages) Custom cheese platters for events and gatherings, available in sizes for 4-6 persons (€42.90), 8-10 persons (€69.90), and 12-14 persons (€93.90), including themed platters such as Carte de France, Les sens du fromage, and collaborative La Cloche X Cygocraft selections (€109-160).
• Raclette Cheese Selection (Plateau de Fromages à Raclette) Assortment of four or five sliced raclette cheeses with options including raw cow, sheep, or goat milk, herbal, smoked, or pepper varieties. Minimum 4 persons, 250g per person, priced at €9.90 per person.
• Cheese Fondue (Fondue La Cloche à Fromage) Traditional cheese fondue prepared by the Master Cheesemaker, served unlimited, in traditional, wild garlic, white wine with aged goat, Munster, blue cheese with Espelette, and Epoisses varieties, priced €8.98-€38.30 per person depending on variant.
• Flagship Restaurant La Cloche à Fromage Restaurant founded in 1988 featuring the world's largest cheese bell (Guinness World Record 1989, replaced 2016), standing 1.96m tall with 1.88m diameter and holding up to 90 cheese varieties. Serves fondue, raclette, cheese platters, and seasonal dishes. Open Monday to Saturday for lunch and dinner, with reservations recommended.
• Cheese Maturing Cellar (Cave d'Affinage) 1,500 m³ aging facility with 450 m² dedicated to maturing over 160 cheese varieties under controlled temperature and programmed humidity, meeting European standards. Features wooden racks, spruce boards, and straw as natural coverings for traditional aging. Provides the underlying supply assurance for the boutique and B2B channels.
• Retail Boutiques (Points de Vente) 8 physical boutique locations in Strasbourg (3: Rue du Marché-Gare, Rue des Tonneliers, Rue du Noyer), Haguenau, Épernay, Obernai, Saverne, and Wissembourg offering cheese selection, platters, raclette and fondue assortments, Click & Collect, and expert advice from maître fromagers.
• Professional B2B Services (Professionnels) B2B services for restaurants, caterers, retailers, and hotels including custom cheese selections, cheese training programs on aging techniques, service, and history, with personalized consultation and a dedicated commercial contact.
• Event Catering (Évènementiel) Custom cheese platters and buffets for weddings, birthdays, and corporate events, including raclette buffets with various cheese options and on-site maître fromager service. Event sizes range from intimate gatherings to large institutional functions (e.g., Eurocorps trinational event).
• Artisanal Dairy Products (Crèmerie) Artisanal dairy products including butter, cream, yogurt, cancoillotte, and fresh cheese from Alsace and Normandy producers, sold through boutiques and online.
• Wine Selection (Vins) Wine selection including Sauvignon blanc La Petite Perrière 2022 (Sancerre region) and Bordeaux Château Frontenac 2020, selected to pair with cheeses, sold through boutiques and online.
• Artisanal Charcuterie (Charcuteries) Artisanal charcuterie including Jésus du pays Basque (smoked Basque sausage), Saucisse de Morteau IGP, and Chorizo au piment d'Espelette, sold through boutiques and online.
• Gourmet Groceries (Épicerie) Gourmet grocery items including cheese accompaniments, crackers, oils, vinegars, and pestos from producers like Huilerie Beaujolaise, sold through boutiques and online.
• Gift Cards (Cartes Cadeaux) Gift cards available in variable amounts for purchase as gifts, redeemable across the boutique, online, and restaurant channels.
• Breathalyzer (Ethylotest) Breathalyzer for sale (0.5g/l blood alcohol limit, chrome-free, made in France), offered as a complementary product suitable for pairing with wine and cheese purchases.

Quantifiable outcome

• Served international military delegation (Eurocorps trinational event with Belgian and Luxembourgish partners) showcasing French gastronomy to allies

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• CygocraftminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative product partnership creating exclusive cheese platter collections branded 'La Cloche X Cygocraft' sold at premium prices (€109-160 per platter for 4-6 and 12-14 person portions). Represents a product co-development collaboration for special occasion platters.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Direct peers

• Ferme d'Alexandre: French fromagerie-affineur producing and aging cheeses on-site with multiple retail points. Comparable on integrated producer-affineur-retailer model and direct producer relationships.
• Beillevaire: French fromagerie-affineur with a national network of boutiques, in-house production, and restaurant/dairy offerings. Highly comparable as a multi-location affineur-retailer with both consumer and professional channels.
• La Fromagerie: UK cheese retailer-restaurateur combining a cheese shop, café/restaurant, and wholesale supply. Comparable omnichannel mix of boutique retail, on-site dining, and B2B services.
• Androuet: Historic Parisian fromagerie-affineur with multiple retail locations offering aged French cheeses, platters, and restaurant services. Closely comparable business model combining affineur expertise, multi-boutique retail, and B2B supply to hospitality.
• Barthélémy: Paris-based cheese shop and affineur serving both consumers and professional kitchens. Comparable on curated assortment, AOP cheese focus, and professional clientele.
• Laurent Dubois: Paris-based maître fromager affineur operating multiple boutique locations and supplying top restaurants. Comparable on curation depth, maître fromager advisory, and B2B hospitality focus.
• Neal's Yard Dairy: London-based cheese affineur and retailer combining on-site maturation with retail and wholesale supply to hospitality. Closest international analogue in terms of affineur-retailer hybrid model and curated regional sourcing.
• Renard Gillard: Traditional Paris affineur supplying aged cheeses to restaurants and direct customers. Directly comparable on affineur craft and professional clientele, though smaller retail footprint.

Others

• Chronofresh (Chronopost): Temperature-controlled parcel delivery arm of the La Poste group, already a logistics partner. Relevant as an infrastructure enabler for the company's national e-commerce scaling ambitions.

Broad incumbents

• Carrefour Fromages & Premiers Choix: Major French retailer operating supermarket cheese counters with growing premium and AOP assortments. Adjacent incumbent that competes on convenience and price for the same end consumer.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/la-cloche-%C3%A0-fromage---la-boutique

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 La Cloche à Fromage - La Boutique