Salt Spring Island Cheese Company

What Salt Spring Island Cheese Company does

Salt Spring Island Cheese Company is a privately held, family-owned artisan dairy founded by David Wood, with the first cheese sold in 1996 following six years of recipe development. The company operates from a single farm at 285 Reynolds Road on Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, and produces handmade goat cheeses using traditional methods and a short ingredient list: 100% pure goat milk, sea salt, dairy culture, and rennet. The product line centers on flavored Chèvre varieties (Basil, Truffle, Chili, Garlic, Lemon, Tapenade, Pepper) priced at $16-$18, surface-ripened cheeses (Juliette, Romelia), and St Jo Feta at $19, with individual unit pricing and curated Cheese Boxes sold through a Cheese Club subscription.

Revenue is generated across four streams: (1) direct-to-consumer retail at the year-round on-site Farm Shop; (2) a seasonal Café (open daily July through Labor Day, weekends year-round) serving pizzas, salads, goat cheese cake, and gelato; (3) e-commerce sales via the company's own storefront at saltspringcheese.ca; and (4) wholesale distribution through regional grocery and specialty food partners, including Thrifty Foods, Fresh Street Market, and Spud in Western Canada, with broader reach via Lekker Foods (BC/Alberta), Custan Foods (Ontario), and Tony's (Western USA). The Cheese Club provides a recurring subscription layer with first-access privileges to curated boxes three to four times per year. Customers are split between individual retail consumers purchasing for personal use, gifting, or entertaining, and wholesale grocery retailers stocking premium artisan dairy.

The business operates with a 9-employee team and generates revenue without external institutional investment, having remained entirely family-owned since founding. Marketing is conducted through the company website, the Cheese Club email newsletter, and an on-site farm experience that includes viewing windows into the production facility. Operating geographies span Western Canada and Western USA, with no broader global footprint claim made.

Name

Salt Spring Island Cheese Company

Legal name

Salt Spring Island Cheese Company

Website

https://saltspringcheese.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Salt Spring Island Cheese Company is a family-owned artisan goat cheese maker founded in 1996 on Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, producing handmade Chèvre, surface-ripened, and feta varieties sold via its farm shop, online store, Cheese Club subscription, and wholesale partners across Western Canada and the Western United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Artisan Goat Cheese

NAICS

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

SIC

Dairy Products (2020), Food And Kindred Products (2000)

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)

Keywords

• Artisan goat cheese
• Specialty cheese
• Farmhouse dairy
• Cheese subscription
• Handcrafted cheeses

Headquarters

HQ city

Salt Spring Island

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Cheese Product Sales: Direct retail and wholesale sales of artisan goat cheeses including Chèvre varieties, surface ripened cheeses, and feta. Products sold through farm shop, online store, and grocery retailer partners.
2. Farm Shop Retail: On-site retail at the farm shop selling cheese samples, local foodstuffs including chutneys, jams, crackers, vinegars, honeys, smoked salmon, as well as goods from further afield such as olives, olive oils, teas, and cordials.
3. Café Food Service: On-site café serving pizzas, salads, goat cheese cake, and gelato made from the same goat milk used for cheese production. Seasonal fruit and berry compotes accompany desserts.
4. Cheese Club Subscription: Monthly curated cheese boxes with exclusive access for members. First access to curated club boxes three to four times per year, including surprise specialty items from local food producers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Salt Spring Island Cheese Company handcrafts artisan goat cheeses on Salt Spring Island, British Columbia using traditional methods and all-natural ingredients. Their portfolio includes seven Chèvre varieties (Basil, Truffle, Chili, Garlic, Lemon, Tapenade, Pepper), two surface-ripened cheeses (Juliette, Romelia), and St Jo Feta. The company reaches consumers through a farm shop and café on Salt Spring Island, an online e-commerce store, a monthly Cheese Club subscription, and wholesale partnerships with grocery retailers across Western Canada and Western USA.

Product overview

Salt Spring Island Cheese Company is a family-owned artisan cheese maker specializing in handcrafted goat cheeses made with traditional methods. The product portfolio centers on Chèvre varieties (Basil, Truffle, Chili, Garlic, Lemon, Tapenade, and Pepper), along with surface ripened cheeses (Juliette, Romelia) and feta (St Jo Feta). These individual products are available for purchase online or at the Farm Shop, and are bundled into curated Cheese Boxes offered through the Cheese Club subscription service. The company operates a Farm Shop and Café on Salt Spring Island where customers can sample products, purchase accompaniments, and enjoy prepared foods made with their cheeses.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Basil Chèvre Hand-packaged artisan goat cheese infused with basil, individually sold at $16.00 for personal consumption, entertaining, or gifting.
• Truffle Chèvre Hand-packaged artisan goat cheese infused with truffle, individually sold at $18.00 for cheese plates and gift occasions.
• Chili Chèvre Hand-packaged artisan goat cheese with chili seasoning, sold individually for cooking, cheese plates, and gifting.
• St Jo Feta Handmade feta-style goat cheese priced at $19.00, sold individually for cooking, salads, and cheese plates.
• Garlic Chèvre Hand-packaged artisan goat cheese infused with garlic, sold individually for cooking and cheese plates.
• Lemon Chèvre Hand-packaged artisan goat cheese with lemon flavor, sold individually for pairing with wines, jams, and charcuterie.
• Tapenade Chèvre Hand-packaged artisan goat cheese with olive-based tapenade seasoning, sold individually for Mediterranean-style pairings.
• Pepper Chèvre Hand-packaged artisan goat cheese with pepper seasoning, sold individually for cooking and cheese plates.
• Romelia Handmade surface ripened artisan cheese priced at $18.00, suitable for cooking or inclusion on cheese plates.
• Juliette Soft and creamy surface ripened cheese, perfect for cooking or cheese plates, pairing nicely with jams and wines.
• Cheese Boxes Carefully curated boxes featuring selected Salt Spring Island cheeses and surprise specialty items from local food producers, sold to Cheese Club members three to four times per year as gifting occasions across the calendar.
• Cheese Club Subscription membership program providing first access to curated monthly cheese boxes, exclusive discounts, and product notifications throughout the year, with the General and Cheese Box newsletters informing members of available cheeses.
• Farm Shop & Café Year-round farm shop on Salt Spring Island offering samples of all cheeses and sales of local foodstuffs (chutneys, jams, crackers, vinegars, honeys, smoked salmon) plus a café serving pizzas, salads, goat cheese cake, and gelato made on site from the same goat milk used in cheese production.

Quantifiable outcome

• First cheese sold in 1996 after six years of development by founder David Wood

Named customers3 records

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

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered regional and core.

• Lekker FoodsregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWholesale distribution partner for BC and Alberta regions, distributing Salt Spring Island Cheese products to retail locations.
• Custan FoodsregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWholesale distribution partner for Ontario region, distributing Salt Spring Island Cheese products to retail locations.
• Tony'sregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWholesale distribution partner for Western USA region, distributing Salt Spring Island Cheese products to retail locations.
• Thrifty FoodscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPrimary grocery retail partner for Western Canada distribution of artisan goat cheeses.
• Fresh Street MarketcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGrocery retail partner distributing artisan goat cheeses in Western Canada locations.
• SpudcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGrocery retail partner distributing artisan goat cheeses in Western Canada locations.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Mt. Townsend Creamery: Pacific Northwest artisan cheesemaker based in Washington State producing handcrafted cheeses including fresh and aged varieties. Comparable on small-batch artisan cheese making and regional distribution in the Pacific Northwest, the same general geography as Salt Spring Island Cheese.
• Golden Glen Creamery: Washington State farmstead creamery producing artisan goat and cow cheeses. Comparable on small-scale handmade production and Pacific Northwest regional distribution to similar specialty retailers.

Broad incumbents

• Saputo: One of the largest dairy processors in North America with broad cheese portfolios across cow and goat categories. Comparable as a dairy manufacturer operating at much greater scale, providing a competitive reference point for wholesale shelf pricing and category dynamics.
• Agropur: Major Canadian dairy cooperative with broad cheese and dairy product manufacturing across Canada. Comparable as a larger Canadian dairy competitor that distributes cheese through similar grocery and foodservice channels as Salt Spring Island Cheese.

Direct peers

• Haystack Mountain: Long-running Colorado artisan cheesemaker producing goat and cow cheeses including aged and fresh styles. Comparable on handmade artisan production methods, broad cheese portfolio, and direct wholesale relationships with grocery retailers.
• Redwood Hill Farm: California-based farmstead goat dairy producing artisan Chèvre, aged cheeses, and cultured products. Comparable on-farm artisan goat cheese production, heritage branding, and direct retail/wholesale distribution.
• Cypress Grove: California-based artisan cheesemaker famous for its flagship Chèvre and a broad range of fresh goat cheeses. Directly comparable to Salt Spring Island Cheese on handmade goat cheese focus, premium positioning, and broad flavor variety.
• Vermont Creamery: Artisan dairy producer specializing in fresh chèvre, cultured butter, and crème fraîche, with nationwide US distribution. Comparable in scale, artisan positioning, multi-product goat cheese portfolio, and direct-to-retail and foodservice channels.
• Laura Chenel's: Pioneering California goat cheese maker supplying Chèvre and aged goat cheeses to retail and foodservice nationwide. Comparable on heritage brand (founded 1979), premium goat cheese focus, and wholesale grocery distribution.

Emerging players

• Celebrity Dairy: North Carolina farmstead goat dairy producing artisan Chèvre and aged goat cheeses with on-site inn and farm tours. Comparable on small-scale handmade goat cheese production and the integration of agritourism and farm-direct retail.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/salt-spring-island-cheese-company

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Salt Spring Island Cheese Company