What Haystack Mountain Creamery does

Haystack Mountain Creamery, founded in 1989 in Longmont, Colorado, is a privately held artisanal dairy that produces handcrafted raw and pasteurized goat and cow milk cheeses. The company operates a single production facility and serves three primary customer segments: major grocery retailers (Natural Grocers, King Soopers, Whole Foods Market, Safeway), specialty cheese retailers (Cheese Importers, Cured Boulder), and the Denver/Boulder restaurant trade via direct personal delivery to more than 80 establishments. National reach is achieved by leveraging Colorado-based regional distributors and air freight for out-of-state wholesale accounts.

The portfolio comprises approximately fifteen cheese varieties across three lines: fresh chèvres (Boulder Chèvre plus flavored variants such as Cracked Pepper, Dill & Garlic, Herbes de Provence, Green Chile, Applewood Smoked, and Chèvre en Marinade), soft-ripened styles (Haystack Peak, Snowdrop, Camembert), and cow-milk offerings (Cashmere, Green Chile Jack Wheel, Vaquero Jack Wheel, Snowmass Raclette, Funkmeister, Buttercup). Production uses traditional handcraft techniques and microbial (vegetarian) rennet, with milk sourced from partner family farms. Manufacturing is anchored by a single 4,700-pound pasteurization tank, with 700 pounds of curd pulled daily for the Peak and Snowdrop SKUs and the balance directed to fresh chèvre. All products are formulated without additives, preservatives, or artificial flavors.

Revenue derives exclusively from cheese sales at wholesale and retail, with pricing not publicly disclosed and provided on request. Distribution combines a hybrid of indirect (Colorado distributors with air freight) and direct (in-house restaurant delivery) channels. The company is led by award-winning cheesemaker Jackie Chang, who oversees all production stages. No external funding, parent ownership, or institutional investment is disclosed, and the company remains privately and locally held after more than three decades of operation.

Name

Haystack Mountain Creamery

Legal name

Haystack Mountain Creamery

Website

https://haystackmountaincheese.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Haystack Mountain Creamery, founded 1989 in Longmont, Colorado, handcrafts award-winning goat and cow milk cheeses using traditional techniques and microbial vegetarian rennet, selling through Colorado distributors, direct restaurant delivery in Denver/Boulder, and major grocery and specialty retailers nationwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Artisan Cheese

NAICS

Dairy Product (except Frozen) Manufacturing (31151), Dairy Product Manufacturing (3115)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Dairy Spreads, Dips & Cream Cheese Manufacturing (AFAKAKAL)

Keywords

• Artisan cheese
• Goat milk cheese
• Handcrafted cheese
• Specialty dairy products
• Fresh chèvres

Headquarters

HQ city

Longmont

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Cheese Product Sales: Haystack Mountain generates revenue through the sale of handcrafted goat and cow cheeses distributed via grocery retailers, restaurant accounts, and food service. Products are sold in various unit sizes (4-oz logs, 8-oz wedges, 8-lb wheels, bulk tubs) at wholesale and retail price points.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Haystack Mountain Creamery produces handcrafted raw and pasteurized goat and cow milk cheeses at its Colorado production facility, using traditional techniques, microbial (vegetarian) rennet, and pure dairy milk from partner family farms. The product range spans fresh chèvres, soft-ripened bloomy-rind styles, washed rind, double cream Brie, Jack wheels, and Raclette, distributed to grocery retailers, specialty cheese shops, and over 80 Denver and Boulder restaurants. All products are free of additives, preservatives, and artificial flavors.

Product overview

Haystack Mountain Creamery is a single-product artisan cheese company producing handcrafted goat and cow cheeses. The portfolio includes three main product lines: fresh/chèvre varieties (Boulder Chèvre, Cracked Pepper, Dill & Garlic, Herbes de Provence, Green Chile, Applewood Smoked, Chèvre en Marinade), soft-ripened cheeses (Haystack Peak, Snowdrop, Camembert), and cow milk cheeses (Cashmere, Green Chile Jack, Vaquero Jack, Snowmass Raclette, Funkmeister, Buttercup). All cheeses are handmade using traditional cheesemaking techniques, microbial vegetarian rennet, and are free of additives or preservatives. Founded in 1989, the company operates from Colorado using milk from partner family farms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Boulder Chèvre Classic fresh goat cheese with tangy citrus and grass flavors and a firm, creamy texture, ideal for crumbling. Available in 4-oz log and 4.5-lb tub sizes for retail and foodservice.
• Cracked Pepper Chèvre Classic fresh semi-soft goat milk cheese coated with black, green, and red cracked peppercorns, suited for cheese plates and savory recipes.
• Dill & Garlic Chèvre Classic fresh goat milk cheese blended with dried dill and minced fresh garlic, herbaceous and creamy with appealing tang.
• Herbes de Provence Chèvre Classic fresh semi-soft goat milk cheese fashioned into logs and coated with Herbes de Provence herbs.
• Green Chile Chèvre Fresh mild and creamy goat cheese studded with roasted Hatch green chiles from New Mexico.
• Applewood Smoked Chèvre Classic fresh goat cheese smoked with real applewood for subtle, elegant complexity suitable for vegetables, sandwiches, omelets, and crackers.
• Chèvre en Marinade Medallions of Boulder Chèvre marinated in olive and canola oil, minced garlic, and Herbes de Provence. Available in 8-oz jar and 64-oz tub sizes.
• Haystack Peak Soft-ripened pyramid-shaped goat cheese with a distinguishing edible vegetable ash coating on the rind. Creamy, light, slightly lemony with a gooey cream-line texture.
• Snowdrop Delicate soft-ripened goat cheese that ranges from oozy and satiny to creamy beneath its thin bloomy rind, with grass and wild flower notes and a mild lactic tang.
• Camembert Soft-ripened bloomy-rind wheel styled after the classic cow's milk cheese of Normandy; ripens from outside in, becoming softer, creamier, and more earthy with age.
• Cashmere Double cream Brie made from organic cow's milk with 60% butterfat, with an earthy aroma, buttery slightly sweet flavor, velvety white rind, and delicate tangy finish.
• Green Chile Jack Wheel Semi-soft, pasteurized, wax-coated Jack style goat cheese mild and creamy, studded with roasted Hatch green chiles from New Mexico. Available in 8-oz wedge and 8-lb wheel sizes.
• Vaquero Jack Wheel Semi-soft Jack style cheese made with organic grass-fed organic cow's milk, mottled with spicy roasted Hatch chile peppers from New Mexico. Available in 8-oz wedge and 8-lb wheel sizes.
• Snowmass Raclette Wheel Semi-firm, elastic washed rind cow cheese made with organic milk with strong melting properties. Creamy texture with nutty to milky-buttery flavor range. Available in 8-oz wedge and 8-lb wheel sizes.
• Funkmeister Double cream washed rind cheese made from organic cow's milk, washed in cultured brine as it ages, imparting a funky aroma and savory flavor. Available in 8-oz disc.
• Buttercup Blend of pasteurized local cow and goat milk (80% cow, 20% goat). A mild, easygoing, semi-soft cheese described as a 'Swiss Army knife' in the kitchen. Available in 8-lb wheel and 8-oz wedge sizes.

Quantifiable outcome

• Multiple international cheese awards across product lines

Named customers7 records

Segments3 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

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Tillamook: Large farmer-owned dairy cooperative with broad cheese and dairy product portfolio across U.S. retail. Comparable end-product category but vastly larger scale, broader SKU set, and significantly greater marketing investment.
• Bel Brands USA (The Laughing Cow): Mass-market spreadable and snack cheese manufacturer with national distribution. Comparable category adjacency (soft, spreadable cheese formats) but operates at commodity scale with a fundamentally different business model.

Direct peers

• Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese: California farmstead cheesemaker producing award-winning cow milk cheeses including Original Blue and Bayley Hazen Blue. Comparable craft, awards-driven brand with similar retail and foodservice channels.
• Rogue Creamery: Oregon-based artisan cheese maker famous for its award-winning blue cheeses. Comparable as a craft, award-driven brand with national specialty distribution.
• Jasper Hill Farm: Vermont-based artisan cheese maker producing raw and pasteurized cow milk cheeses, including award-winning aged varieties. Comparable craft positioning and similar retail/wholesale go-to-market.
• Vermont Creamery: Artisanal producer of goat and cow milk cheeses and cultured butter based in Vermont. Highly comparable as a similarly-sized craft dairy with national distribution in natural and specialty channels.
• Beecher's Handmade Cheese: Artisan cheese maker with national brand presence, flagship retail locations, and foodservice distribution. Comparable premium positioning and direct-to-consumer restaurant retail experience.
• Laura Chenel's Chevre: Pioneering American goat cheese producer offering fresh chèvres and aged goat milk cheeses. Closely comparable product mix and channel footprint, including natural grocery and foodservice.
• Cowgirl Creamery: Northern California artisan cheese producer known for soft-ripened and aged cow milk cheeses. Comparable size, craft positioning, and natural-channel distribution.
• Cypress Grove: Iconic artisan goat cheese maker known for Humboldt Fog, with broad retail and foodservice distribution. Directly comparable as a premium goat-cheese specialist competing for similar shelf and restaurant placements.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/haystack-mountain-creamery

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 Haystack Mountain Creamery