Our World

Steeped in history

Making cheese with a difference takes time. And we should know.

We've been in the business for quite a while; ever since Jules and Leon Bel started the company in 1865. There have been quite a few changes since then, as you'll find out if you check out our timeline on the right.

Big in cheese

These days we're a major international company, supplying branded cheese to over 120 countries. Every year over 285,000 tons leave our 23 production sites.

Worldwide, we're the leading producers of cheese portions and Europe's leading maker of processed cheese. We also produce many of the UK's most popular cheese brands, including Mini Babybel®, The Laughing Cow®, Cheez Dippers®, Leerdammer® and Port Salut®.

At the forefront of innovation

Our success is due to our rich cheese making heritage and our emphasis on new technology and innovation. We're always trying out new ways of presenting cheese, and new recipes and flavours.

We also put a lot of thought into what our customers want. They're always in our minds during research and development, so we're always one step ahead when it comes to identifying new market trends and anticipating changing consumer needs.

Much-loved brands

Back all this with pioneering (and much-loved) marketing and advertising campaigns and it's no wonder we've developed strong brands that are loved by consumers the world over.

That's Bel in brief. To find out more about our world, please visit our group site »

The Bel Group is committed to quality

All of the Bel production plants currently supplying the UK market are ISO 9001:2000 accredited and all carry a health mark. Health marks are awarded by the relevant country authorities only if stringent hygiene procedures are in place, including an effective HACCP system. (HACCP, which stands for Hazard Analysis of Critical Control Points, is a system whereby any potential risk along a production line is identified and measures are put in place to minimise the risk.)

All Bel products are tested against a set of stringent quality parameters and are not released unless they satisfy these strict controls. In the unlikely event of a problem being identified after the product has left the factory, we can very quickly locate the products and stop them reaching the consumer, since all products are referenced for traceability.