Beemster

Beemster is a Dutch cheese brand made by CONO Kaasmakers, a cooperative of dairy farmers with its creamery in the Beemster polder in North Holland. The cooperative has more than 400 member farmers and about 170 employees, and it has been making cheese for more than 100 years. Beemster cheese is made from the milk of cows that graze in North Holland and is sold as premium Gouda style cheese in the Netherlands and abroad.

Range

• Beemster in several ripening stages, from young to extra aged, for example Extra Belegen
• Milk ingredients for the food industry, part of the milk goes into Ben & Jerry's ice cream

Ownership and sustainability

The member farmers own the cooperative, so no multinational group stands behind the brand. CONO reports an average of 185 grazing days in 2025 and pays a premium for pasture milk. Beemster was named one of the winners of the World Cheese Awards in 2022. The range is narrower than that of the large Dutch dairy groups and focuses on Gouda.