Maison Gabriel COULET

What Maison Gabriel COULET does

Maison Gabriel Coulet is a French family-owned cheese producer founded in 1869 in Roquefort-sur-Soulzon, Aveyron, operating under the legal entity Gabriel Coulet SA with €1,606,572 in share capital and currently led by CEO Nicolas Marcinkowski. The company specializes in Roquefort AOP and pure sheep's milk (pur brebis) cheeses aged in the natural Combalou caves, sourcing milk from a network of partner farms (cited as roughly 87 in some materials and around 150 in others) within the surrounding Aveyron basin. Operations span two sites: the historic Roquefort-sur-Soulzon headquarters with aging caves, on-site boutique, restaurant, and visitor experience, and the Sébazac-Concourès cheesery where milk is processed and initial affinage occurs.

The product portfolio is organized across three branded ranges — Les Passions de Gabriel (Roquefort AOP, including extended-maturation wheels from 4 to 24+ months), Les Traditions de Gabriel (plain Tomme de brebis), and Les Émotions de Gabriel (flavored pur brebis) — with the Brebis Folie's sub-line introducing flavored tommes such as Piment d'Espelette, Ail des Ours, and Fenugrec. Additional offerings include the Salad'Aperos feta-style sheep's milk cheese positioned as an Aveyron-origin alternative to imported feta, supported by Roquefort AOP, Agriculture Biologique, IFS food safety, and PME+ certifications, plus the 2024 Label 5 Générations award.

The company runs a hybrid B2C/B2B model: B2C via an on-site boutique, two on-site restaurants, paid cave-tour experiences, and a French-domestic e-commerce site with Chronopost Fresh cold-chain delivery; B2B through specialty cheese retailers, restaurateurs, and delicatessens across metropolitan France. Unit pricing spans roughly €3 to €72 depending on format and maturation, no revenue is disclosed, and there is no evidence of an AI/ML or digital-native technology stack — the business remains anchored in traditional affineur craft, cave terroir, and multi-generational family governance.

Name

Maison Gabriel COULET

Legal name

Gabriel Coullet SA

Website

https://gabriel-coulet.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1869

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Maison Gabriel Coulet is a five-generation, family-owned French affineur founded in 1869 in Roquefort-sur-Soulzon, producing Roquefort AOP and pure sheep's milk cheeses for B2C consumers and specialty B2B retailers across metropolitan France via caves, e-commerce, and on-site experiences.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Artisanal Specialty 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 Aging/Affineur Services (Maturation & Cave-Aging) (AFAHABAH), Cheese (Natural & Processed) (CRADACAC), Cheese Packaging & Portioning (Retail Packs, Snack Packs, Singles) (AFAHABAI)

Keywords

• Roquefort cheese production
• Sheep milk cheeses
• Artisanal cheesemaking
• Aged cave cheese
• Protected designation cheese

Headquarters

HQ city

Roquefort-sur-soulzon

HQ country

France

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. Cheese product sales: Direct sale of Roquefort AOP cheeses, Tommes Tradition, and Pur Brebis Émotions through owned e-commerce platform and physical boutique. Products include raw milk Roquefort, pasteurized milk Tommes, and fresh sheep's milk cheeses. Cold chain logistics handled by Chronopost Fresh with 48h delivery across metropolitan France.
2. Cave visitor experiences: Free self-guided cave tours at Roquefort-sur-Soulzon with complimentary tastings. On-site boutique and two restaurants offering regional specialties and local products.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Maison Gabriel Coulet produces and sells Roquefort AOP and other pure ewe's milk cheeses made from Lacaune breed sheep milk collected within 30 km of its Sébazac dairy, aged in the natural caves of the Combalou rock in Roquefort-sur-Soulzon. The company offers its cheeses through an owned e-commerce boutique, an on-site village boutique, specialty retailers and delicatessens, and two on-site restaurants, complemented by free self-guided cave visits with tastings.

Product overview

Maison Gabriel Coulet is a family-owned French cheese company founded in 1869, operating for over 5 generations in Roquefort-sur-Soulzon, Aveyron. The company offers three main product lines: Roquefort AOP (premium blue cheeses including La Cave, La Petite Cave, La Cave Bio, La Cave Vieille, and La Cave des 150 ans, with aging from 90 days to 24 months), Tommes Traditions (traditional pressed pure sheep's milk cheeses in formats like Pavé and Ronde des Cazelles, aged 6-8 weeks), and Pur Brebis Émotions (flavored/artisanal cheeses under the Brebis Folie's brand including Brique and Pavé varieties with wild garlic, Piment d'Espelette, and fenugreek). Products are made exclusively from Lacaune sheep's milk, collected within 30km of the Sébazac dairy, and aged in the natural caves of Combalou rock in Roquefort-sur-Soulzon.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Les émotions de Gabriel: Pure sheep's milk cheese range including flavored tommes (Brique, Pavé formats) and Salad'Aperos - for aperitifs and salads
• Les passions de Gabriel
• Les traditions de Gabriel

Products and services

• Roquefort AOP La Petite Cave Emblematic Roquefort AOP from Maison Gabriel Coulet, finely riddled (piquage) to deliver generously marbled paste and smooth texture, with characteristic blue veining from heart to heel. Sold to individual consumers, gift buyers, and specialty retailers via the e-commerce boutique and wholesale channels.
• Roquefort AOP La Cave Bio Organic Roquefort AOP made from the milk of nine partner farms, with rich aromas, a melting paste, and generous marbling, certified under Agriculture Biologique. Intended for organic-seeking consumers and specialty retailers.
• Coffret Duo Roquefort AOP La Petite Cave / La Cave Gift duo box pairing La Petite Cave and La Cave Roquefort AOP, targeted at connoisseurs, novices, and gift buyers.
• Coffret Duo Roquefort AOP La Petite Cave / La Cave Vieille Gift duo box pairing La Petite Cave with La Cave Vieille, designed to showcase the maturation difference between two AOP Roquefort references.
• Coffret Duo Roquefort AOP La Petite Cave / La Cave Bio Gift duo box combining La Petite Cave and La Cave Bio Roquefort AOP, for organic-preferring gift buyers and individual consumers.
• Fromage Pur Brebis Salad'Aperos Bio Organic Aveyron sheep's milk feta-style cheese with balanced firmness, melt, sweetness and acidity. Sold in 150 g packs for salads, aperitifs, and recipe use to individual consumers, caterers, and restaurants.
• Fromage Pur Brebis Salad'Aperos Conventional Aveyron sheep's milk feta-style cheese, firm yet melting with subtle acidity, sold in 150 g packs for salads, aperitifs, and gourmet recipes.
• Tomme Pure Brebis La Ronde des Cazelles Traditional pressed pure sheep's milk tomme with slightly bloomy natural crust, aged 6–8 weeks, with delicately fruity and nutty flavors. Sold to individual consumers and specialty retailers.
• Tomme Pure Brebis Le Pavé des Cazelles Original-format pressed pure sheep's milk tomme from the Roquefort AOP collection area, aged 6–8 weeks, with delicately fruity and nutty aromas. Intended for aperitifs, salads, and cheese boards.
• Tomme Pure Brebis Le Pavé Bio des Cazelles Organic pressed pure sheep's milk tomme made from biological milk collected in the Roquefort AOP region, aged 6–8 weeks, with authentic fruity and nutty flavors. Suitable for cubes, slices, cold or lightly heated service.
• Tomme Pure Brebis Le Pavé Bio à l'Ail des Ours Organic pressed pure sheep's milk tomme infused with 0.6% wild garlic (ail des ours), combining sheep's milk flavors with fresh herby notes. Sold as a 1.1 kg format.
• Tomme Pure Brebis La Brique à l'Ail des Ours - Brebis Folie's Pure sheep's milk tomme (Brebis Folie's range) infused with wild garlic added directly into the milk during all manufacturing stages, sold in a 2.2 kg Brique format.
• Tomme Pure Brebis La Brique au Piment d'Espelette - Brebis Folie's Pure sheep's milk tomme (Brebis Folie's range) flavored with AOP Piment d'Espelette pepper incorporated directly into the milk for a refined, mildly spicy flavor.
• Cave Visit Experiences at Roquefort-sur-Soulzon Free self-guided tours of the natural Combalou rock cellars at Roquefort-sur-Soulzon, with complimentary cheese tastings. Positioned as a customer-acquisition and retention channel for the maison.
• On-site Restaurant Services and Espace Pro Professional Channel Two on-site restaurants in Roquefort-sur-Soulzon serving regional Aveyron specialties and local products alongside cheese tastings, plus the dedicated Espace Pro portal for retailers and restaurateurs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Multiple cheese competition medals including gold, silver, and bronze at Concours International de Lyon and Concours Général Agricole (2024-2025)

Named customers2 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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Chronopost FreshcoreOthersCold chain logistics partner for e-commerce deliveries across metropolitan France. Provides 48-hour temperature-controlled shipping service ensuring product quality during transit.
• 87 dairy sheep farms (Lacaune breed)coreOthersApproximately 87 partner farms within 30km radius of Sébazac cheesery supply high-quality Lacaune sheep milk. Close collaborative relationships with partner farmers ensuring milk quality and sustainable local economy.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Bel Group: Large global dairy and cheese group with branded specialty cheese offerings. Relevant as a broad incumbent that competes for retail and foodservice cheese shelf space across categories including blue and sheep's milk cheeses.
• Savencia Fromage & Dairy: Major French dairy group producing a broad portfolio of branded cheeses including blue cheeses. While not focused on AOP Roquefort, it represents a broad incumbent in the French specialty cheese space with significantly greater distribution and capital.
• Lactalis: World's largest dairy group with broad cheese portfolio and significant French specialty cheese presence. Represents the scale benchmark and primary competitor for retail shelf space and foodservice contracts.

Direct peers

• Le Vieux Berger: Roquefort AOP producer with branded retail products in supermarkets and specialty channels. Comparable in scale and product mix, with emphasis on cave-aged traditional Roquefort.
• La Fromagerie des Cévennes: French artisan sheep's milk cheese producer specializing in tommes and pure brebis cheeses. Comparable in raw material (Lacaune or similar sheep milk), artisanal production, and B2B distribution to specialty retailers.
• Papillon (Roquefort Papillon): Long-established Roquefort AOP producer with broad retail distribution across France and export markets. Direct competitor in the Roquefort category with overlapping customer base and product positioning.
• Roquefort Carles: Family-owned Roquefort AOP producer also based in Roquefort-sur-Soulzon, with multi-generational heritage and similar cave-aging operations. Closely comparable artisan-scale competitor with overlapping B2B and B2C channels.
• Roquefort Société: One of the largest Roquefort AOP producers, also aging cheeses in Combalou caves. Directly comparable as a fellow AOP-protected Roquefort producer competing for the same foodservice and specialty retail channels.

Emerging players

• Brinza/Feta Producers (e.g., Mevgal): Greek and Balkan feta/white sheep's milk cheese producers. Comparable in producing pure sheep's milk table cheeses (the category Gabriel Coulet targets with its Salad'Aperos line), competing for the same Mediterranean cuisine use cases.
• Manchego Producers (e.g., Queserías Manchegas): Spanish PDO sheep's milk cheese producers (Manchego DOP). Comparable as a competing PDO-protected sheep's milk cheese category in Southern Europe, competing for the same premium cheese consumer in retail and foodservice.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gabriel-coulet

Compliance3 records

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 Maison Gabriel COULET