Jensen Cheese

What Jensen Cheese does

A.M. Jensen Limited, doing business as Jensen Cheese, is a privately held, family-run artisanal cheese manufacturer and direct-to-consumer retailer headquartered at 37 Evergreen Hill Road in Simcoe, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1925 by Danish Master Cheesemaker Arne Jensen, the business is now in its third generation under owner Scott Jensen, who assumed control following his father Eric's passing in 2018. The company operates two sites: the Simcoe headquarters/retail location (which also houses underground coolers for cheese aging) and a wholly-owned manufacturing subsidiary, the Wilton Cheese Factory, in Odessa in Eastern Ontario. Customers are primarily individual consumers and specialty retail accounts located in Southwestern and Eastern Ontario.

The core product portfolio centers on hand-made traditional cheddars produced via the cheddaring process at Wilton Cheese Factory — curd is cut into ¼-inch cubes, heated, stirred, and turned every 15 minutes in open vats to expel whey and develop flavor, then aged naturally in underground coolers. The aging range spans Mild, Medium, Old (9–14 months), Very Old (18–24 months), and Extra Old (3–4 years) cheddar, with seasonal reserves aged up to 8–11 years. The line extends to Extra Old Smoked Cheddar, Colby, Marble, Hot Pepper and Onion & Garlic brick cheddars, and Original and Smoked cheeseballs, alongside re-packed Mozzarella from Parmalat Canada. Inputs are 100% all-natural Canadian cow's milk from local dairy farms, with cream retained in the milk and no additives or artificial flavors. Beyond cheese, the company sells curated gift baskets (CAD $43.50–$123.75), gift boxes ($28.85–$95.00), cheese trays ($45–$75), a Brie Baker Plate, and a Cutting Board Basket, plus an Imported & Domestic Cheeses collection carrying American, Canadian, Danish, English, Spanish, and Goat cheeses.

Revenue is generated exclusively through one-time, pay-as-you-go direct product sales via the jensencheese.ca Shopify e-commerce storefront and the Simcoe physical retail outlet, which operates Monday through Friday 8:30am to 4:00pm in winter. No residential delivery is offered; customers pick up orders or arrange outside delivery at additional cost. Distribution is domestic-only and Ontario-focused. Customer acquisition is driven by organic social media (Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest) and content marketing through recipes and company-news blogs. With ~8 employees, no disclosed revenue, no external funding, no wholesale or B2B channel, no app, and no AI or automation capability, the business operates as a tightly held, capacity-constrained artisanal enterprise.

Name

Jensen Cheese

Legal name

A.M. Jensen Limited

Website

https://jensencheese.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1925

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

A.M. Jensen Limited (Jensen Cheese) is a third-generation, family-owned artisanal cheese maker in Simcoe, Ontario, producing traditional hand-cheddared cheeses and curated gift baskets for direct-to-consumer and specialty retail customers in Southwestern and Eastern Ontario, Canada.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Artisanal Cheese Manufacturing

NAICS

Cheese Manufacturing (311513)

SIC

Dairy Products (2020)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Cheese Aging/Affineur Services (Maturation & Cave-Aging) (AFAHABAH), Cheese (Natural & Processed) (CRADACAC), Cheese Shops & Fromageries (CRAHAGAD)

Keywords

• Artisanal cheese making
• Aged cheddar production
• Gift basket retail
• Traditional cheddaring process
• Specialty dairy manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Simcoe

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Direct Product Sales: Revenue generated from direct sales of artisanal cheeses (cheddar varieties, colby, marble, specialty cheddars with additives), cheeseballs, gift baskets/boxes, cheese trays, and accompaniments through e-commerce and retail storefront.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Jensen Cheese (A.M. Jensen Limited) manufactures and sells hand-made artisanal cheeses — primarily aged cheddar varieties ranging from mild to extra old (3–4 years aged), plus colby, marble, mozzarella, specialty brick cheddars, and cheeseballs — produced at its Wilton Cheese Factory using traditional cheddaring methods in open vats and aged in underground coolers. The company retails these cheeses directly to consumers through its own e-commerce website and a physical storefront in Simcoe, Ontario, alongside curated gift baskets, gift boxes, cheese trays, and accompaniments.

Product overview

Jensen Cheese (A.M. Jensen Limited) is a family-run artisanal cheese business operating since 1925 in Southwestern Ontario, with a second location (Wilton Cheese Factory) in Eastern Ontario. The company offers a portfolio of hand-made, artisanal cheeses centered on the cheddar family, ranging from mild to extra old varieties (aged 3-4 years), including specialty variants like smoked cheddar, hot pepper brick, and onion & garlic brick. Their product portfolio includes their own Jensen brand cheddars and colby, repacked mozzarella from Parmalat Canada, and cheeseballs. Beyond cheese products, they sell gift packages ranging from small gift baskets ($43.50) to extra large gift baskets ($123.75), gift boxes with curated cheese selections, cheese trays, cutting board baskets, and pottery brie baker plates. The company uses traditional cheddaring methods in open vats at Wilton Cheese Factory, with cheeses aged in underground coolers. The business operates as a direct-to-consumer e-commerce platform serving retail customers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Jensen Mild Pasteurized Cheddar

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Bothwell Cheese: Manitoba-based cheddar and specialty cheese manufacturer using traditional methods. Comparable to Jensen as a Canadian artisanal/aged cheddar maker serving both retail and foodservice with a heritage brand story.
• Gunn's Hill Artisan Cheese: Oxford County, Ontario artisanal cheese maker producing small-batch cheeses including aged cheddars. Direct peer on craft, geography, and direct-to-consumer farm/retail sales model.
• St. Albert Cheese Co-op: Quebec-based cheese co-operative famous for its cheddar curds and aged cheddars. Direct peer as a Canadian heritage cheddar maker with retail storefronts and gifting SKUs.
• Black River Cheese Company: Ontario cheddar producer making a range of aged cheddars. Direct peer because of overlapping product (aged cheddar), regional Canadian footprint, and similar artisanal positioning.
• Bright Cheese & Butter Manufacturing: Long-standing Ontario cheese manufacturer producing cheddars and other dairy products. Comparable to Jensen on Ontario manufacturing base, cheddar-led product mix, and traditional production approach.
• Upper Canada Cheese Company: Ontario artisanal cheese maker producing premium hand-ladled curds and aged cheeses. Comparable to Jensen on product craft, premium pricing, and Ontario-based DTC and specialty distribution.
• Mountain Oak Cheese: Ontario-based artisanal cheese manufacturer specializing in traditional European-style cheeses including gouda and aged varieties. Comparable to Jensen on production method, Ontario footprint, and small-batch premium positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Agropur Cooperative: One of the largest dairy cooperatives in North America, producing a broad portfolio of cheeses including cheddars. Broad incumbent in the same Canadian cheese category with overlapping cheddar SKUs but at vastly greater scale.
• Saputo: One of the largest dairy processors in the world with extensive cheese manufacturing including cheddar. Broad incumbent competitor and also a potential acquisition counterparty for an artisanal producer like Jensen.

Others

• Parmalat Canada: Large Canadian dairy processor that already supplies mozzarella to Jensen for repacking. Relevant as both a supplier dependency for Jensen's non-cheddar SKUs and a broad incumbent in the same Canadian cheese/dairy category.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/jensen-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 Jensen Cheese