Fromages Spielhofer Sa

What Fromages Spielhofer Sa does

Fromages Spielhofer SA is a Swiss family-owned cheese producer and international cheese trader headquartered in Saint-Imier in the Bernese Jura. Founded in 1928 as the Cormoret Cheese dairy and operated by the Spielhofer family since 1982, the company has been led since 2019 by second-generation owners Cédric and Florian Spielhofer. The company produces approximately 26 varieties of hard, semi-soft, and soft cheeses plus mountain butter, fondue mixtures, grated cheese, and (since the 2023 Milchkanne acquisition) quark and yogurt. Its flagship product, Tête de Moine AOP, is a legally protected designation that limits production to seven authorized dairies in the Jura region, with Spielhofer processing around 1.5 million units per year. Gruyère AOP is produced at a new CO2-neutral facility in Sonvilier opened in 2022, using robot-assisted cheese tending and OPALE-certified renewable energy (including 20-30% wind power from the Mont Crosin/Juventus SA partnership). The firm holds FSSC 22000, IFS Food, Bio Suisse, Demeter, and OPALE certifications and operates a wholly-owned subsidiary, Spielhofer Swisscheese SA, in Kyrgyzstan since 2016.

The business operates across multiple channels: B2B sales to major Swiss retail chains (Migros, Coop, Denner, Lidl Switzerland, Aldi Switzerland, Manor, Loeb, VOLG, Spar) and international retailers in 65 countries (including REWE Group, Metro Group, Carrefour, and Walmart), direct-to-consumer sales through four Fine Food Shops (Saint-Imier, Sonvilier, Biel/Bienne, Kerzers), an e-commerce storefront at spielhofer-shop.ch, foodservice accounts (notably the Tissot Arena and HC Biel), factory tours, and private-label manufacturing for distributors. Production runs 15 million liters of silage-free mountain milk per year sourced from approximately 70 regional suppliers with around 1,200 cows, yielding roughly 3,200 tonnes of cheese annually and storage capacity for 500,000 Tête de Moine units. Approximately 80% of Tête de Moine output is exported. Other products include L'Horloger (a 180-day-aged specialty launched in 2023), Montagne du Jura, Le Cavalier, Mont Soleil, Bio-Renan, Le Bio Jura, Jura Carré, Raclette Milval, Tomme de Brebis, Eolienne à la crème (a wind-energy-themed product since 2004), and the Milchkanne sub-brand for quark and yogurt.

Revenue mechanics rest on cheese and dairy product sales at undisclosed wholesale and retail prices, with unit-priced factory tours at CHF 15 per person as a minor incremental stream. The company employs approximately 85 staff (seasonally variable) and was recognized with the Prix SVC Suisse romande 2024 from the Swiss Venture Club. No external investors, private equity, or parent holding company are disclosed.

Name

Fromages Spielhofer Sa

Legal name

Fromages Spielhofer SA

Website

https://fromagesspielhofer.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1928

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Fromages Spielhofer SA is a Swiss family-owned dairy producing around 26 cheese varieties including Tête de Moine AOP and Gruyère AOP, processing 15 million liters of silage-free mountain milk annually and exporting to 65 countries via retail, foodservice, four company-owned shops, and e-commerce.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Artisan Cheese Production

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 Manufacturing (AFAKAKAB), Cheese (Natural & Processed) (CRADACAC), Cheese Wholesale (AFAIAEAC)

Keywords

• Artisan cheese production
• Swiss dairy products
• Mountain cheese making
• Cheese export trading
• Aop cheese dairy

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint-imier

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 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. Cheese and dairy product sales: Sale of proprietary cheese varieties (Tête de Moine AOP, Gruyère AOP, and 20+ specialty cheeses), mountain butter, fondue mixtures, and grated cheese. Also resells Tête de Moine from other producers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Fromages Spielhofer produces regional Swiss cheeses, mountain butter, fondue mixtures, and related dairy products from silage-free mountain milk sourced from approximately 70 regional farms. The company is one of only seven licensed producers of Tête de Moine AOP and also produces Gruyère AOP, raclette, organic cheeses, and 20+ specialty varieties. It exports to 65 countries (80% of Tête de Moine shipped abroad) and operates four retail Fine Food Shops.

Product overview

Fromages Spielhofer Sa is a cheese producer and trading company offering approximately 26 varieties of hard, semi-soft, and soft cheeses along with mountain butter and fondue products. The product portfolio centers around Tête de Moine AOP as the flagship product (one of seven authorized producers), complemented by Gruyère AOP, specialty cheeses (L'Horloger, Chaux-d'Abel, Montagne du Jura, Bio-Renan), and dairy products including butter and yogurt. Following the 2023 acquisition of Milchkanne AG, the company expanded into quark and yogurt production. All products are made from silage-free mountain milk sourced from regional farmers, with no artificial colouring, preservatives, or flavours. The company operates as both a producer and international trader, exporting to over 65 countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Milchkanne: Acquired cheese dairy brand from Kerzers, producing quark, yoghurt and dairy specialities.

Products and services

• Tête de Moine AOP Classique Legendary semi-soft AOP cheese, one of only seven authorized producers. Aged for a minimum of 3 months, featuring a characteristic round shape and designed to be shaved with a girolle. Sold domestically and exported to 65 countries.
• Gruyère AOP Hard AOP cheese produced CO2-neutrally at the Sonvilier facility from silage-free mountain milk sourced from regional cows.
• L'Horloger Semi-soft cheese with a distinctive clock-face design, aged over 180 days, featuring a unique aroma paying tribute to Jura watchmaking heritage.
• Chaux-d'Abel Traditional cheese specialty from the Bernese Jura with a creamy, buttery texture and distinctive flavour, produced according to traditional recipe.
• Montagne du Jura Hard cheese representing the Jura mountain region, produced from regional silage-free mountain milk.
• Le Cavalier Hard cheese variety from the Spielhofer portfolio, crafted with traditional methods.
• Mont Soleil Semi-soft cheese named after Mont Soleil, produced from silage-free mountain milk.
• Bio-Renan Organic semi-soft cheese from the Renan region, produced from organically farmed silage-free milk.
• Le Bio Jura Organic hard cheese produced from organic silage-free mountain milk.
• Jura Carré Hard cheese in square format representing the Jura region tradition.
• Raclette Milval Semi-soft cheese suitable for raclette preparation.
• Tomme de Brebis Semi-soft cheese made from sheep's milk.
• Mélange à fondue Pre-blended fondue cheese mixture ready for preparation.
• Fromage râpé Pre-grated cheese for convenient use.
• Eolienne à la crème Soft cheese specialty created in collaboration with wind energy from Mont Soleil, representing sustainable production.
• Beurre de montagne du Jura bernois Mountain butter produced from silage-free milk, with no artificial colouring or preservatives.
• Milchkanne Séréré Quark/curd cheese from the Milchkanne brand acquired in February 2023.
• Milchkanne Yogourt Yogurt from the Milchkanne brand acquired in February 2023.
• Factory tours and cheese tastings Group and individual factory tours including production overview, cellar visit, and wine/cheese tasting. Priced at CHF 15 per person with a minimum of 10 persons or CHF 150 minimum; duration 1.5–2 hours.

Quantifiable outcome

• 15 million liters of milk processed annually
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Juvent SAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2004Collaboration with Juventus SA and its wind power plant on Mont-Soleil. Spielhofer purchases 20-30% of wind energy from Mont Crosin, enabling use of the wind turbine label ('Éolienne') since 2004. Partnership supports OPAL sustainability certification.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Mifroma SA: Swiss cheese producer, refiner, and international trader specializing in Swiss specialty cheeses for export. Directly comparable trading-and-manufacturing model focused on Swiss cheese across global retail and foodservice channels.
• Fromagerie de Bellelay SA: One of the other licensed Tête de Moine AOP producers and historic maker of the original Bellelay cheese. Direct head-to-head competitor for the same AOP franchise in the same geography.
• Emmi AG: Switzerland's largest dairy processor, publicly listed on SIX, producing cheeses (including Switzerland Cheese brands), butter, and cream across domestic and export markets. Closest comparable by geography, product mix, and export orientation, though materially larger and broader.
• Fromagerie du Haut-Jura (Marcel Petite): French Comté aged-cheese affineur operating across the Jura region. Highly comparable in product category (aged Jura hard cheese), supply-chain model, and premium export positioning.
• Lustenberger & Dürst AG: Swiss specialty cheese maker and exporter based in central Switzerland. Comparable by focus on premium Swiss hard and semi-soft cheeses, regional milk sourcing, and export-led B2B go-to-market.

Broad incumbents

• Lactalis Group: World's largest dairy group, owner of Galbani, Président, and many regional cheese brands. Overlaps with Spielhofer across cheese manufacturing and global retail distribution at a vastly different scale.
• Savencia Fromage & Dairy: French privately-held specialty cheese group with a portfolio of regional and international cheese brands. Comparable in premium specialty cheese focus and export-led B2B model, but with much larger portfolio breadth.
• Saputo Inc. Canadian-headquartered global dairy company with substantial cheese and dairy ingredients operations across North America, Europe, and Australia. Comparable in cheese manufacturing and large-retail customer relationships.
• Bel Group: Global cheese and dairy snacks group (Laughing Cow, Babybel, Kiri, Leerdammer). Overlaps in branded specialty cheese manufacturing and international distribution, but operates at far greater scale and broader portfolio scope.

Regional players

• Hochdorf Swiss Nutrition AG: Swiss dairy ingredient and consumer products company. Comparable Swiss dairy footprint and export orientation, but tilted toward B2B ingredients rather than branded specialty cheese.

Market position

Strengths3 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/spielhoferSA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fromages-spielhofer-sa
• Instagraminstagram.com/fromages_spielhofer

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Fromages Spielhofer Sa