Bel Group facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Groupe Bel

Type	Private
Traded as	CAC All-Share
Industry	Cheese
Founded	1865
Headquarters	Suresnes, Île-de-France
Key people	Cécile Béliot (CEO) Ivan Giraud (CEO of Bel Brands USA)
Revenue	€3.64 billion (2023)
Net income	€69 million (2023)
Number of employees	10,900
Parent	Unibel

The Bel Group is a large French company that makes and sells cheese around the world. It is also known as Groupe Bel or Fromageries Bel in French.

About the Bel Group

The Bel Group has its main office in Suresnes, a town near Paris, Île-de-France, in France. The company makes and sells many kinds of cheese, including processed and semi-processed cheeses. These cheeses are often packaged in small, individual portions, which are easy to eat.

The company started in 1865 in a place called Orgelet in France. Some of Bel's most famous cheese brands are The Laughing Cow, Babybel, Kiri, Leerdammer, and Boursin. These popular cheeses are sold in many countries across five continents.

As of 2024, the Bel Group has 30 factories where they make their products. Their cheeses are sold in 120 different countries worldwide.

How the Bel Group Started

Early Years and Famous Brands

The company was founded in 1865 by a person named Jules Bel. He named it Établissements Jules Bel.

Later, in 1921, Jules's son, Léon Bel, created and registered the famous La vache qui rit brand, which means "The Laughing Cow." This cheese quickly became very popular.

The company started to grow internationally. In 1929, they opened their first office outside France, in the United Kingdom. A few years later, in 1933, they opened another office in Belgium.

New Cheeses and Global Growth

The Bel Group kept creating new cheeses. The Bonbel cheese was launched in 1947. In 1950, they bought a company that made Port Salut cheese, which had been around since 1816.

A very popular cheese, Babybel, was launched in 1952. This small, round cheese with a red wax coating became a favorite for many. In 1959, the company expanded into Germany.

The Kiri cheese brand was launched in 1966. The company continued to grow, opening offices in Spain in 1965 and the Netherlands in 1967. By 1970, the Bel Group had even opened an office in the United States.

In 1977, they launched Mini Babybel, a smaller version of the popular Babybel cheese. This made it even easier for people to enjoy their cheese on the go.

In 2002, the Bel Group bought the Leerdammer Group, which made a well-known Dutch cheese. The next year, in 2003, they also bought Fromagerie Boursin, adding another famous cheese to their collection. In 2009, the company updated its logo. More recently, in 2015, they bought a large part of Safilait, a cheese company in Morocco.

Bel's Corporate Foundation

The Bel Group also has a special foundation called Bel's Corporate Foundation. It was started in May 2008 by the Bel Group and its main owner, Unibel.

The foundation's goal is to help people eat healthy food and to protect the environment. They believe that a healthy environment is important for a healthy diet. Instead of supporting just a few big projects, the foundation helps many smaller projects around the world.

Lab'Bel: The Art of Cheese

Lab'Bel's logo

Lab’Bel is like an art studio for the Bel Group. It opened in 2010 and is supported by the company and its main owner, Unibel. Lab’Bel is led by artist Laurent Fiévet, who is part of the Bel family, and Silvia Guerra, an art expert.

The Bel Group has always supported artists. For example, they worked with Benjamin Rabier, who designed the famous Laughing Cow image. They also worked with Francisque Poulbot, known for his drawings of Parisian children, and the animator Paul Grimault.

There is even a museum dedicated to The Laughing Cow called La Maison de La vache qui rit (The Laughing Cow Museum). It is located in Lons-le-Saunier, France, and Lab’Bel often hosts special events there.

Bel Group Cheese Brands

See also

In Spanish: Groupe Bel para niños

• List of cheesemakers