HERVE - SOCIETE

What HERVE - SOCIETE does

Terre de fromages, legally operating as Herve Société, is a Belgian family-owned cheese dairy headquartered at Rue de Charneux, 32 in Herve, Belgium. Founded in 1983 by the Cabay family and formally established as Herve Société in 1985 through the consolidation of regional affineurs, the company operates a single production site in Herve producing approximately 30 different cheese varieties, including the only Belgian cheese holding a European PDO (AOP) designation granted in 1996. Its products span soft washed-rind Herve cheeses (L'Exquis line), Abbey-style pressed cheeses (Val-Dieu line), organic and local cheeses (Les Beaux-Prés), Brussels cheese (De Ster), and regional specialties (Fagne Range), made from milk sourced from the equivalent of 25 dairy farms in the Pays de Herve region and ripened using traditional methods including controlled cellars, hand washing with brevibacterium linens cultures, and 4–8 week maturation cycles.

The company generates revenue through wholesale, retail, and direct channels. Product is distributed via specialist wholesalers to crèmeries and restaurants, stocked across all major Belgian retail chains (Carrefour, Delhaize, Colruyt, Intermarché, Cora, Spar, Okay, Match, Louis Delhaize, Lidl), exported (~10% of production) to the Netherlands, France, Germany, Sweden, Canada, and other markets, and sold direct-to-consumer through its e-shop. Pricing is per-unit across formats ranging from 100g to 2.5kg. The company is led by founder-family member Jean-Marc Cabay and has grown through a documented series of regional acquisitions (Laiterie Régionale de Herve in 1998, Vanderheyden in 2003, Leconte in 2007, plus the 2008 takeover of Brussels cheese production), reaching a consumption footprint of approximately 1 in 4 Belgian households annually.

Name

HERVE - SOCIETE

Legal name

Terre de fromages

Website

https://herve-societe.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Terre de fromages (Herve Société) is a Belgian family-owned cheese dairy producing ~30 artisanal cheese varieties, including the only Belgian PDO cheese, for distribution through Belgian retailers, specialist wholesalers, e-commerce, and exports to 5+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Artisanal Cheese Manufacturing

NAICS

Cheese Manufacturing (311513), Dairy Product Manufacturing (3115), 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

Cheese (Natural & Processed) (CRADACAC), Dairy Spreads, Dips & Cream Cheese Manufacturing (AFAKAKAL), Ripened Natural Cheese Manufacturing (Semi-Soft, Hard & Blue) (AFAHABAB), Cheese Packaging & Portioning (Retail Packs, Snack Packs, Singles) (AFAHABAI)

Keywords

• Artisanal cheese production
• PDO Herve cheese
• Belgian dairy products
• Specialty cheese manufacturing
• Washed-rind cheese

Headquarters

HQ city

Herve

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Cheese production and sales: Terre de fromages generates revenue through the production and sale of artisanal Belgian cheeses. The company transforms the equivalent of production from 25 dairy farms in the Pays de Herve. Products are sold via specialist wholesalers, large Belgian retail chains, and direct-to-consumer e-commerce.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Terre de fromages produces and markets artisanal Belgian cheeses and related dairy products under multiple brands (L'Exquis, Val-Dieu, Les Beaux-Prés, Fagne Range, De Ster). Its range includes PDO Herve cheeses (mild and piquant), Abbey cheeses (Bouquet des Moines, Brique des Moines, Délice des Moines, Bleu des Moines), raclette, Brie, spreadable, and organic varieties in formats from 100g to 2.5kg. Production consolidates milk from 25 regional dairy farms at a single site in Herve, Belgium, using traditional methods combined with modern quality control.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• L'Exquis Herve Doux / Piquant / Remoudou / Pékèt / Bière (Herve PDO soft washed-rind cheeses) Soft washed-rind cheeses bearing the Herve PDO label, produced and ripened at the Herve site using the region's signature brevibacterium linens culture. Available in 100g and 200g formats and specialty variants aged with Belgian beer or Pékèt (juniper spirit). Sold via specialist wholesalers, large Belgian retailers, and direct e-commerce.
• Val-Dieu Herve Doux / Piquant / Bière (Herve PDO cheeses under the Val-Dieu Abbey brand) PDO Herve soft washed-rind cheeses marketed under the Val-Dieu Abbey brand in mild (Doux), piquant, and beer-affined variants. Sold in 100g, 200g, and 2.5kg formats through Belgian retail chains (Spar, Okay, Cora, Louis Delhaize, Intermarché) and direct channels.
• Val-Dieu Bouquet des Moines (Abbey cheese, 150g) Pressed Abbey-style cheese from the Val-Dieu range, silver-medal winner at the Concours de Harzé (washed-rind category). Marketed in 150g format through Belgian retail and specialty channels.
• Val-Dieu Brique des Moines (Abbey cheese, 200g) Pressed Abbey cheese from the Val-Dieu range, sold in 200g format through Belgian retail and food-service channels.
• Val-Dieu Délice des Moines (Abbey cheese, 125g) Mixed-rind Abbey cheese from the Val-Dieu range, marketed in 125g format through Belgian retail and specialty cheese channels.
• Val-Dieu Bleu des Moines (blue-veined Abbey cheese, 125g) Blue-veined Abbey cheese in the Val-Dieu range, sold in 125g format to Belgian retail and specialty cheese customers.
• Val-Dieu Pique-Nique (Val-Dieu Abbey cheese portion, 180g) Single-portion Abbey cheese in the Val-Dieu range, marketed in 180g format for picnic and casual consumption via Belgian retail channels.
• Val-Dieu Raclette Assortiment (raclette, 600g) Raclette cheese assortment in naturel, persillade, and tomato-oregano flavours under the Val-Dieu brand, marketed in 600g format for retail and at-home raclette occasions.
• Les Beaux-Prés Herve doux bio (organic Herve cheese, 100g) Certified-organic mild Herve cheese from the Les Beaux-Prés range, sold in 100g format through Belgian organic and mainstream retail channels (including Carrefour Belgium).
• Herve Remoudou Crémier (soft cheese, 200g) Soft Herve Remoudou cheese in crémier (creamery) format, sold in 200g portions through Belgian retail channels.
• Fagne Range (Fleur de Fagne, Trou d'Sottai, Boû d'Fagne) Regional soft cheeses from the Fagne area (Fleur de Fagne, Trou d'Sottai, Boû d'Fagne), produced and ripened at the Herve site and sold through specialist cheese channels and Belgian retailers.
• De Ster (Fromage de Bruxelles, 0% fat) Traditional Brussels-style lactic-curd cheese with 0% fat content, produced under the De Ster brand after Terre de fromages took over production from the last Brussels producers in 2008; sold through Belgian retail and specialty channels.
• Fromage à tartiner Herve Société (spreadable cheese, 150g) Spreadable cheese containing around 30% PDO Herve cheese, marketed in 150g pots for everyday household consumption and sold through major Belgian retailers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1 in 4 Belgian households consume Terre de fromages cheeses annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• FrieslandCampina: Dutch dairy cooperative producing commodity and branded cheeses (including Old Amsterdam) for European retailers. Competes broadly with Terre de fromages in cheese categories and could expand specialty offerings that pressure niche players.
• Savencia Fromage & Dairy: French specialty cheese group (Caprice des Dieux, Saint Albray, Chavroux) with a portfolio of branded, terroir-driven cheeses sold across European retail. Operates at much larger scale but competes in the same premium/artisanal cheese category.
• Lactalis: World's largest dairy group and owner of Passendale, Maredsous, and Brugge Belgian cheese brands. Competes directly with Terre de fromages on Belgian retail shelves with deeper marketing budgets and global scale advantages.
• Arla Foods: Northern European dairy cooperative with significant branded cheese exposure (Castello, Apetina, Jarlsberg-like specialty lines). Competes in the specialty/premium European cheese segment where Terre de fromages operates.
• Bel Group (Fromageries Bel): French multinational cheese company (Laughing Cow, Babybel, Kiri, Boursin). Overlaps in soft/portion cheese categories and is a broad incumbent competitor for retail shelf space and consumer cheese occasions.

Direct peers

• Fromagerie Berthaut: French family-run affineur behind Époisses de Bourgogne, a washed-rind PDO cheese with a similar ripening protocol (brevisurface culture, regular washing). Closest French analogue in terms of craft, PDO status, and washed-rind category overlap.
• Royal Beemster (CONO Kaasmakers): Dutch premium Gouda producer built around a defined terroir (North Holland polder), farm milk sourcing, and protected-recipe maturation. Highly comparable operating model — protected designation, single cooperative supply base, premium retail positioning — translated from Gouda to Herve.
• Passendale (Lactalis Belgium): Belgian washed-rind cheese brand produced by Lactalis from milk in the same broader Flemish/Belgian terroir. Competes head-to-head on the Belgian supermarket cheese shelf and shares the washed-rind, abbey, and soft-cheese categories with Terre de fromages.
• Marcel Petite: French affineur specializing in long-aged Comté, with master-cheesemaker know-how, cellar ripening expertise, and premium foodservice/retail distribution. Directly comparable artisanal affineur model to Terre de fromages' ripening-focused operations.

Emerging players

• Old Amsterdam: Dutch premium aged Gouda brand (FrieslandCampina) sold on a heritage/terroir positioning very similar to Herve cheese. Comparable mid-scale specialty brand competing for premium deli and specialty retail cheese-counter placements across Europe.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/terredefromagesbe
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/terredefromages

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries5 records

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 →

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