cheese etc

What cheese etc does

Cheese Etc. & Gourmet Gifts is a privately held, family-owned artisan food retailer and producer headquartered in Haddon Township, New Jersey. The business was originally established in 1988 in Collingwood, NJ, purchased by Ken and Gina Horlacher in 2004, relocated to the SoHa Arts Building in 2014, and moved to a larger retail and production space at 31 Haddon Ave. in October 2025. Its core products are handmade cheese spreads in proprietary flavors (including beer-infused, wine-infused, vegan, and seasonal varieties such as lavender honey goat cheese), complemented by gourmet mac & cheese, jams and wine jellies, ricotta mousse, charcuterie boards, gift baskets, and a growing vegan line, all produced in-house from locally sourced New Jersey ingredients (Schober Farm, Muth Family Farm, Mill Creek Apiary) and local wineries and breweries.

The company operates four primary distribution channels: a retail storefront with limited Wed-Sun hours in Haddon Township, weekly presence at the Burlington County and Collingswood farmers' markets, a direct-to-consumer e-commerce site shipping nationwide with local delivery across Camden, Burlington, and Gloucester counties, and a wholesale program through select regional retailers. A fifth, smaller revenue stream consists of paid experiential classes (charcuterie, pickle-making, ricotta) held at the store, priced at $69.95 per person. Pricing is unit-based across the catalog, ranging from $6.95 mac & cheese to $199.95 premium gift towers, with a 10-box minimum for corporate gifting orders.

The customer base is dominated by individual gift-givers and food enthusiasts in the South Jersey and greater Philadelphia region, supported by a smaller corporate gifting channel. The business has received multiple Best of South Jersey Magazine awards from 2012 through 2024 for gift baskets, cheese spreads, mac & cheese, and hostess gifts, and operates without any disclosed institutional funding, public listing, or headcount data. Revenue is not publicly disclosed.

Name

cheese etc

Legal name

Cheese Etc. & Gourmet Gifts

Website

https://cheeseetc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Cheese Etc. & Gourmet Gifts is a family-owned artisan food retailer and producer in Haddon Township, NJ, making handmade cheese spreads, gift baskets, charcuterie, and vegan products from locally sourced New Jersey ingredients for gift-givers, food enthusiasts, and corporate customers across the US.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Foods & Gourmet Gifts

NAICS

Specialty Food Retailers (4452)

SIC

Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090), Dairy Products (2020)

akta.pro primary industry

Gourmet & Fine Food Stores (CRAHAGAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Farmstead & Local Artisan Food Markets (Retail Shops) (CRAHAGAO)

Keywords

• Artisan cheese spreads
• Gourmet gift baskets
• Specialty food retail
• Charcuterie boards
• Local gourmet foods

Headquarters

HQ city

Haddon Township

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Retail Storefront Sales: Direct sales to consumers at the retail location in Haddon Township, NJ. Customers can purchase products off-shelf or order custom gift baskets.
2. E-commerce and Shipping: Online ordering with shipping throughout the US. Products ship directly to customers. Local delivery available in Camden, Burlington & Gloucester counties.
3. Farmers' Market Sales: Weekly presence at Burlington County Farmers' Market and Collingswood Farmers' Market for direct-to-consumer sales. Seasonal attendance with pre-ordering available.
4. Wholesale to Retailers: Products sold at select retailers. Mentioned as available at select retailers in the area.
5. Experiential Classes: Fee-based classes including The Art of Charcuterie ($69.95 per person), Artisan Pickle Making, and Ricotta Making Classes. Includes ingredients, instruction, and take-home products.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Cheese Etc. & Gourmet Gifts produces and sells award-winning homemade artisan cheese spreads, gourmet specialty foods (mac & cheese, jams, ricotta mousse, vegan cheese), charcuterie boards, and curated gift baskets for occasions such as holidays, birthdays, sympathy, and corporate gifting. All products are made to order in a commercial kitchen using locally sourced New Jersey ingredients from partner farms, apiaries, wineries, and breweries. The company sells directly to consumers through its Haddon Township retail store, area farmers' markets, and an e-commerce site shipping nationwide, and also runs paid hands-on food-making classes.

Product overview

Cheese Etc. & Gourmet Gifts is a specialty food retail business offering a diverse portfolio of artisan gourmet products and curated gift solutions. The core offering centers on award-winning homemade cheese spreads in various flavors, complemented by an extensive range of charcuterie boards, gourmet mac & cheese, jams and conserves, and vegan cheese alternatives. The company organizes its products into occasion-based gift lines including holiday, birthday, sympathy, and thank-you baskets, while also providing ready-to-enjoy gourmet items like chocolate fudge cheese, ricotta mousse jars, and non-alcoholic wines. Additional offerings include cheese-making classes and events, and a wholesale program for retailers. The business sources ingredients locally from New Jersey farms, breweries, and wineries, with all products made in-house at their commercial kitchen in Haddon Township, NJ.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cheese Spreads Award-winning homemade cheese spreads in various flavors (garlic herb, buffalo blue, pub beer, bacon chive, pimento, seasonal varieties including lavender honey goat cheese) made in-house in a commercial kitchen using locally sourced ingredients. Targeted at individual consumers, gift-givers, and entertaining use.
• Gourmet Mac & Cheese Gourmet mac and cheese made with the company's signature cheese spread flavors including garlic herb, pub beer, bacon chive, and seasonal varieties, sold to consumers for home preparation and entertaining.
• Vegan Cheese Products Plant-based cheese alternatives including vegan cheese spreads, vegan cheese wedges, vegan mac & cheese mix, and vegan cheese gift boxes, targeted at vegan consumers and those seeking dairy-free gourmet options.
• Jams, Conserves & Wine Jellies Artisan jams, conserves, and wine jellies made with locally sourced Jersey Fresh produce in seasonal fruit flavors, sold for personal use and as components of gift baskets.
• Ricotta Mousse Jars Individual-serving containers of creamy ricotta mousse in various seasonal flavors, sold as ready-to-eat prepared products for individual consumers.
• Non-Alcoholic Wines (Noughty) Dealcoholized wines by Noughty including Rouge, Blanc, and Sparkling Rosé varieties, sourced from organic South African grapes, sold to consumers as part of the gourmet gift assortment.
• Chocolate Fudge Cheese A sweet-savory hybrid product combining creamy fudge with cheddar cheese, molded into seasonal shapes, sold as a specialty holiday/seasonal item.
• Cheese Balls Specialty cheese balls in various flavors including bacon chive, smoked gouda, and seasonal shapes, sold to consumers for entertaining and gifting.
• Charcuterie Boards & Party Trays Ready-to-assemble or pre-assembled charcuterie boards and party trays featuring artisan cheeses, cured meats, crackers, nuts, and accompaniments for entertaining, parties, and events. Custom boards are available with 24-48 hour notice; pricing ranges from $79.95 to $149.95.
• Crackers & Snacks Gourmet crackers, pretzels, chocolate-covered pretzels, and pretzel towers sold as accessory items supporting cheese spreads and gift baskets.
• Gourmet Gift Baskets & Boxes Curated gift baskets and boxes featuring artisan gourmet foods including cheese spreads, charcuterie, crackers, chocolates, jams, and specialty items, organized by occasion (holiday, birthday, sympathy, thank you, get well, new baby, corporate, hostess). Pricing spans entry-level boxes from $19.95–$34.95, mid-range charcuterie baskets $49.95–$79.95, and premium gift towers/extravaganzas $89.95–$199.95. Customization available including dietary (vegan, kosher) and customer-provided items. Corporate gift minimum order: 10 boxes.
• Cheese, Charcuterie & Food-Making Classes Hands-on educational experiences including charcuterie board building ($69.95 per person), ricotta making, and pickle making classes held at the retail location. Classes include ingredients, instruction, and take-home products, and serve as both a revenue line and experiential marketing.

Quantifiable outcome

• Multiple Best of awards from South Jersey Magazine 2012-2024 for gift baskets, cheese spreads, mac & cheese, and hostess gifts

Named customers3 records

Segments4 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

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Schober FarmcoreOthersLocal farm providing Jersey Fresh produce for use in cheese spreads, jams, and conserves.
• Muth Family FarmcoreOthersLocal farm providing Jersey Fresh produce for use in artisan food products.
• Mill Creek ApiarycoreOthersLocal apiary providing lavender-infused honey and other honey products used in cheese spreads and teas.
• Valenzano's WinerycoreOthersLocal winery providing wines used in cheese spreads, wine jellies, and featured in Local Wine Box gift products.
• Wagonhouse WinerycoreOthersLocal winery providing wines for use in cheese spreads and wine jelly products.
• Heritage WinerycoreOthersLocal winery providing wines for cheese spreads and featured gift products.
• Saddlehill WinerycoreOthersLocal winery providing wines for cheese spreads and featured gift products.
• Stokelan WineriescoreOthersLocal winery providing wines for cheese spreads and featured gift products.
• Tonewood BrewerycoreOthersLocal brewery providing beers used in beer-infused cheese spreads and featured in Local Beer Box gift products.
• Flying Fish BrewerycoreOthersLocal brewery providing beers for beer cheese spreads and Local Beer Box gift products.
• Zed's BrewerycoreOthersLocal brewery providing Irish Stout and Dublin Style Porter for St. Patrick's Day products and beer-infused cheese spreads.
• Yards Brewing Co.coreOthersLocal brewery providing beers used in Pub Beer cheese spread and featured in Local Beer Box gift products.
• GGC Healthy PawsminorOthersPartner at Burlington County Farmers' Market providing dog treats and cookies for the Bark-Cuterie Box gift product.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Goldbelly: National marketplace for artisan and regional foods with nationwide shipping. Comparable as a sales channel for similar curated gift products but operates at vastly larger scale with hundreds of artisan producers aggregated onto one platform.
• Wine Country Gift Baskets: Large national gourmet gift basket company with extensive catalog and nationwide distribution. Directly comparable on the gift basket product category and occasion-based merchandising but operates at much greater scale with lower artisan premium.
• Harry & David: National premium food and gift retailer with strong corporate gifting program. Comparable on occasion-based gift baskets, premium pricing, and corporate gifting use cases, but operates as a much larger incumbent with nationwide fulfillment.

Direct peers

• Murray's Cheese: Iconic New York City cheese specialty retailer with retail shops, e-commerce shipping, and educational classes. Operates a directly comparable business model combining cheese retail, gift baskets, classes, and curated local/artisan sourcing - serving as a larger-scale template for Cheese Etc.'s positioning.
• Saxelby Cheesemongers: NYC-based artisan cheese retailer focused exclusively on American farmstead cheeses with in-person tastings and events. Comparable as a small-scale, craft-focused cheese specialist with strong producer relationships and educational programming.
• Vermont Creamery: Artisan dairy and cheese producer with retail distribution across the US. Comparable as a small-batch, farm-story-anchored dairy brand selling through specialty retail and direct-to-consumer channels, with a similar emphasis on craft and local ingredient sourcing.
• Di Bruno Bros. Philadelphia-based specialty food and cheese retailer with multiple retail locations and a strong artisan/craft sourcing narrative. Most directly comparable peer given geographic proximity (Greater Philadelphia/South Jersey market), shared focus on gourmet cheese products, and multi-channel retail/e-commerce model.
• Beecher's Handmade Cheese: Seattle-based artisan cheese maker with retail stores, restaurant, and nationwide shipping. Directly comparable as an artisan cheese-focused brand combining in-house production, retail experience, and national e-commerce distribution.
• Bobolink Dairy & Bakehouse: New Jersey-based artisan cheese maker selling at farmers' markets and through direct channels. Most comparable at the supply and product level - small-scale, farm-based artisan cheesemaker with similar local/farmstead positioning.
• Zingerman's: Ann Arbor-based specialty food retailer/deli offering artisan cheeses, gourmet gifts, and educational experiences. Comparable as a multi-location specialty food business emphasizing craft, provenance, classes, and curated gift offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/cheeseetcgifts

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 →

Frequently asked questions about cheese etc