Les Moulins du Val Dieu

What Les Moulins du Val Dieu does

Les Moulins du Val Dieu, legally Moulin Hick Sprl, is a Belgian family-owned compound feed manufacturer headquartered in Aubel (Wallonia) on the historic Val-Dieu estate, tracing its origins to a Cistercian-built mill established in 1216 and continuously operated by the Hick family since 1919. The company produces more than 15,000 tonnes of compound feed annually for cattle, poultry, pigs, sheep, goats, horses, and rabbits, using automated hammer mills, crushers, and presses with 3.2mm and 4.5mm granulation and a proprietary cold dry-pressing process that avoids steam injection. Feeds are sold in bulk (minimum 2 tonnes) or bagged on pallets through an owned 5-truck fleet and three third-party carriers, serving 500+ professional and hobby farmers across the Pays de Herve and Pays d'Aubel dairy region, with custom formulas developed per farm based on forage and milk-committee analysis.

The company operates a diversified ecosystem under Moulin Hick Sprl: a gastronomic restaurant (Le Vieux Moulin) opened in 1993 in the old mill building sourcing client-farm produce; Les Elevages du Moulin du Val-Dieu, a 2001 joint venture with Upignac and Ardenne Volaille producing Val-Dieu premium chicken sold exclusively through Colruyt Group; a co-manufacturing partnership with Ekidis for the Bleu Roy horse feed brand; traditional bread flours produced via partnership with Moulin Meyers at the Hombourg site; an 18 kW/h hydroelectric turbine installed in 2006; and a 7-hectare nature reserve managed with Natagora. Go-to-market combines direct on-site retail, owned B2B delivery, reseller channels, and the Colruyt retail partnership. The business is owner-managed by three co-owners (Christian Hick, Philippe Van Laethem, Benoît Tyberghein), is GMP-certified by AIB Vincotte, and holds Afsca feed-manufacturing approval (BE4014).

Name

Les Moulins du Val Dieu

Legal name

Moulin Hick Sprl

Website

https://meunerieduvaldieu.be

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Les Moulins du Val Dieu is a Belgian family-owned compound feed mill in Aubel (est. 1216) producing 15,000+ tonnes/year of customized animal feed for 500+ regional farmers, with diversified operations in poultry (Colruyt), equine (Bleu Roy), bread flour, a restaurant, and on-site hydroelectric generation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Animal Feed Manufacturing

NAICS

Animal Food Manufacturing (3111), Other Animal Food Manufacturing (311119), Animal Food Manufacturing (31111)

SIC

Agricultural Prod-Livestock & Animal Specialties (200)

akta.pro primary industry

Livestock Complete Feed Milling & Blending (Cattle/Swine/Poultry) (AFADAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Livestock & Poultry Nutrition (Feed & Premixes) (HLAMAHAD), Vitamin Premixes (AFADAGAA)

Keywords

• Compound animal feed
• Bread flour milling
• Livestock nutrition
• Bulk feed delivery
• Cereal processing

Headquarters

HQ city

Aubel

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Compound Feed Manufacturing and Sales: Manufacturing and sale of compound feeds for rabbits, pigs, sheep and goats, horses, poultry, and cattle. Products sold in bulk (minimum 2 tonnes) or bagged (on pallets) with a fleet of company trucks. Production volume exceeds 15,000 tonnes per year.
2. Bread Flour Sales: Sale of panifiable flours (white flour, grey wheat flour, multi-grain flour, rye flour, Bocage, Crunchy, and white spelt flour) in 5kg and 25kg paper bags, sourced from Les Moulins du Val-Dieu production site in Hombourg.
3. Farm Input Products: Sale of seeds, grains, minerals, salt blocks, milk powders, wood shavings, pesticides, and other farm inputs for hobby and professional breeders.
4. Restaurant: Gastronomic restaurant in the old mill, open since 1993, serving local terroir products from client farms of the mill.
5. Hydroelectric Energy Production: Green energy production through a hydroelectric turbine installed in 2006, using water from the Bel stream and Berwinne river to power the mill.
6. 800th Anniversary Book: Sale of the commemorative book 'Le Moulin du Val-Dieu, 800 ans au fil de l'eau' published in 2016 for 34 euros on-site or 41.5 euros by mail.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Les Moulins du Val Dieu manufactures and distributes compound animal feeds (15,000+ tonnes per year) for cattle, poultry, pigs, sheep, goats, horses, and rabbits, available in bulk (minimum 2 tonnes) and bagged forms with personalized per-farm formulations. The company also produces traditional bread flours under the Les Moulins du Val-Dieu brand, sells farm input products (seeds, minerals, salt blocks, milk powders) at its on-site shop, co-markets Val-Dieu premium chicken through Colruyt, co-manufactures Bleu Roy horse feed with Ekidis, and operates a gastronomic restaurant in the historic old mill.

Product overview

Les Moulins du Val Dieu operates as a family-owned mill and compound feed manufacturer with over 800 years of history. The core business is compound animal feed production exceeding 15,000 tonnes annually for rabbits, pigs, sheep/goats, horses, poultry, and cattle—available in pellets, all-mash, flour, and crushed mixtures. The product portfolio includes specialized feeds like Veau, Bovin, Volailles, Chevaux (including Bleu Roy brand), Ovins/Caprins, Porcins, and Lapins. Complementary offerings include traditional bread flours (Les Moulins du Val-Dieu brand), agricultural supplements (minerals, milk powders, salt blocks), the Val-Dieu premium chicken sold at Colruyt, a nature reserve, hydroelectric turbine, and an on-site gastronomic restaurant. The company maintains artisanal quality standards while employing GMP-certified manufacturing processes, serving local farmers throughout Belgium.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Compound Animal Feeds (Aliments Composés) Main product line of compound feeds formulated for multiple livestock species (cattle, poultry, pigs, sheep, goats, horses, rabbits), available in bulk (minimum 2 tonnes) or bagged on pallets. Production exceeds 15,000 tonnes per year using cold dry pressing granulation and an automated weighing/mixing system. Sold primarily to professional livestock farmers and hobby breeders in Belgium.
• Bovine Feeds (Aliments Bovins) Specialized feed range for veals, young cattle, dairy cows and beef cattle. Includes starters, correctors, production feeds, fattening and finishing formulations, with non-GMO and omega-3 options. Sold to dairy and beef farmers in the Pays de Herve and Pays d'Aubel region.
• Poultry Feeds (Aliments Volailles) Compound feeds for laying hens, label chickens, Omega-3 chickens, turkeys, ducks, chicks, quails, guinea fowl, pheasants, ostriches and emus, with at least 70% cereals and no antibiotics or growth promoters. Sold to poultry farmers including the Val-Dieu chicken production chain supplying Colruyt.
• Equine Feeds (Aliments Chevaux) Specialized horse feeds covering digestive sensitivity, ulcer management, performance, breeding, senior care and stress reduction. Sold through the mill and through Bleu Roy distribution channels.
• Ovine and Caprine Feeds (Aliments Ovins et Caprins) Compound feeds for sheep and goats covering maintenance, breeding, fattening and lactation stages. Available in pellets, coarse all-mash with whole cereals, or mixed forms for small-ruminant farmers.
• Porcine Feeds (Aliments Porcins) Compound feeds for small-scale pig farms including pre-starter, starter, fattening and sow formulations, available in flour or pellet form with non-GMO and omega-3 options. Sold to family-scale pig operations.
• Rabbit Feeds (Aliments Lapins) Specialized rabbit feeds for maintenance, maternity/lactation, fattening, maternity supplementation and hobby mixes, with or without coccidiostatic. Designed for rabbits' sensitive digestive systems and dust-free pellet structure. Sold to rabbit breeders and hobbyists.
• Les Moulins du Val-Dieu Bread Flours (Farines Panifiables) Traditional stone-milled bread flours in seven varieties (white, grey, multi-grain, rye, Bocage spelt blend, Crunchy and white spelt) packed in 5kg and 25kg paper bags. Produced under the Les Moulins du Val-Dieu brand in partnership with Moulin Meyers of Hombourg. Sold at the on-site mill and through reseller sales points.
• Agricultural Raw Materials, Supplements and Bedding Single raw materials and supplements for hobby and professional breeders: grains, seeds, minerals, salt blocks, milk replacers and wood-shaving bedding. Sold at the on-site shop to round out feed purchases.
• Poulet Val-Dieu (Differentiated Quality Chicken) Premium 100% Belgian chicken fed a 70% natural cereal diet (corn and wheat) without additives, antibiotics or growth factors. Produced through Les Elevages du Moulin du Val-Dieu partnership with Colruyt, Upignac and Ardenne Volaille. Available exclusively at Colruyt stores across Belgium.
• Bleu Roy Horse Feed Horse feed brand manufactured exclusively by Moulin du Val-Dieu in collaboration with Ekidis. Eight formulations covering basic, active, performance, breeding, senior, stress and digestive care. Sold at Moulin Val-Dieu and distributed through the Bleu Roy network.
• Restaurant du Vieux Moulin Gastronomic restaurant located in the historic old mill building. Serves regional terroir products sourced from the farms that are customers of the mill. Open to individual diners as a hospitality offering.

Quantifiable outcome

• 15,000+ tonnes of compound feed produced per year
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Natagora – Pays de HerveminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010Regional nature conservation organization with which the mill collaborates to manage the 7-hectare nature reserve acquired in 2006 and 2010. Natagora provides expertise and human resources while the mill provides logistical and financial support for conservation projects.
• Colruyt GroupcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2001In 2001, at the request of Colruyt seeking to diversify its 'poultry' range with 100% Belgian differentiated quality chicken, the mill's managers created Les Elevages du Moulin du Val-Dieu. Val-Dieu chicken, fed a 70% cereal (maize and wheat) plant-based diet without additives, antibiotics, or growth promoters, is sold exclusively in Colruyt stores.
• Société UpignaccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpecialized partner in duck fat production, part of the Les Elevages du Moulin du Val-Dieu entity created in 2001 alongside Colruyt's request. Collaborates on differentiated quality poultry and duck products.
• Ardenne VolaillecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpecialized partner in differentiated quality poultry, co-founding Les Elevages du Moulin du Val-Dieu in 2001 alongside Société Upignac. Supplies the Colruyet Val-Dieu chicken range.
• EkidiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates with the mill to exclusively manufacture all Bleu Roy compound horse feeds. The partnership, established approximately two years before the page's publication, reflects shared principles on traditional feed manufacturing for horses.
• Moulin MeyerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMoulin Meyers of Hombourg supplies panifiable flours to the Val-Dieu mill. Located a few kilometres from Val-Dieu, Meyers had specialized in this domain while maintaining its family and artisanal character, aligning with Val-Dieu's values.
• Société CaromatminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party transport company used to supplement the mill's own fleet for bulk deliveries.
• Ets MonseuminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party transport company used for bagged product deliveries, supplementing the mill's own truck fleet.
• Société David NandrinminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party transport company for both bagged and bulk deliveries, supporting the mill's logistics capacity.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Ardenne Volaille: Belgian differentiated-quality poultry partner of Val-Dieu in Les Elevages du Moulin du Val-Dieu. Directly comparable as a slow-growth, plant-based-diet poultry producer for the Belgian retail market.
• De Heus Animal Nutrition: Dutch-founded international feed manufacturer with strong Belgian presence (formerly Defu/De Dobbeldere). Directly competes in compound feed for cattle, poultry, swine, and equine across the same Belgian farmer base.
• AVEVE Group: Largest Belgian agricultural and compound feed cooperative. Directly comparable as a Belgian feed manufacturer serving livestock farmers with compound rations, on-farm technical support, and full-line agricultural inputs.

Broad incumbents

• Cargill Animal Nutrition (Belgium): Global animal nutrition player operating compound feed mills across Benelux. Overlaps with Val-Dieu in grain-based livestock complete feeds but competes at industrial scale rather than artisanal positioning.
• Vandermoortele (Mills & Bakery): Major Belgian grain milling group with milling, bakery and frozen products divisions. Comparable on the Les Moulins flour side, milling grain into branded bakery/bread flours for retail distribution.
• Puratos Group: Belgian bakery, patisserie, and chocolate ingredients supplier with grain sourcing and milling operations. Adjacent comparability on artisan flour supply into Belgian bakery and retail channels.
• Sanders (Avril Group): French compound feed manufacturer within the Avril Group, specializing in livestock and poultry feeds with technical formulation services. Comparable as a multi-species compound feed manufacturer with customized on-farm formulation.
• Arvesta (formerly Aveve Biochem): Belgian agribusiness offering feed, crop solutions, and farm advisory at national scale. Comparable as a broader agricultural services incumbent overlapping in compound feed manufacturing and farmer-facing distribution.

Emerging players

• Ekidis (Bleu Roy): French equine nutrition brand whose Bleu Roy products are co-manufactured at Val-Dieu. Comparable on equine specialty feed formulation, distribution, and co-branded manufacturing models.

Regional players

• Moulin Meyers (Hombourg): Artisanal grain mill in Hombourg that supplies Val-Dieu's bread flour line. Comparable as a small Belgian stone/traditional mill producing panifiable flours under family ownership.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/les-moulins-du-val-dieu-hombourg

Compliance2 records

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 Les Moulins du Val Dieu