Westland Kaas has acquired the 'Kees' brand

PRESS RELEASE 

Westland Kaas has acquired the 'Kees' brand and is enriching its portfolio with a new version on cheese.

Huizen, 25 January 2023 - Westland Kaas has acquired the 'Kees' brand and is enriching its portfolio with a partly plant-based new cheese variety with a unique recipe. This acquisition is a great fit for the entrepreneurial spirit, creativity and unconventional way of doing business that characterises the Westland family business.

Westland is constantly looking for ways to refine the flavours and recipes of its traditionally crafted cheeses. For example, it created Maaslander, the first low-sodium cheese, and craftsmanship and resourcefulness were key in the search for the acclaimed flavour of Old Amsterdam. Old Amsterdam 48+ and Old Amsterdam Goat’s Cheese were awarded the highest possible scores this month at the German DLG Awards - a remarkable achievement that won the golden DLG Award. Several varieties of Old Amsterdam recently also won at the Superior Taste Awards.

Its partnership with Those Vegan Cowboys, which developed vegan cheese alternatives, is a perfect fit within this tradition of creativity and innovation. With ‘Kees’, Westland Kaas is adding a very special brand - a cheese variety with a unique recipe - to its product range. ‘Kees’ has a special recipe, and is made of skim cow’s milk. The process is similar to that of making Gouda cheese, but for ‘Kees’, the dairy fats are replaced with vegetable oils rich in unsaturated fatty acids. That makes ‘Kees’ a cheese variety that is partly plant-based, containing 50% less saturated fats making it better for your cholesterol.

“We are very pleased to be able to enrich our portfolio, including brands like Old Amsterdam and Maaslander, with ‘Kees’,” says Ronald van Zetten, interim CEO of Westland Kaas. “At Westland, we have a passion for entrepreneurship, geared towards constantly improving the flavours and recipes of our products. This acquisition has again brought us closer to our mission, which is to make life taste better by allowing as many people as possible to enjoy the most delicious cheese in a sustainable way.” Marc van Wanroij, co-founder of ‘Keesmakers’, says: “I am pleased that the ‘Kees’ brand is in good hands with Westland Kaas, and I am confident that this way, ‘Kees’ will remain accessible to consumers.”

***

About Westland Kaas

Westland Kaas - owner of the craft brands Maaslander, Old Amsterdam and Trenta-Kaas believes that enjoying life pairs perfectly with building a better life. Its mission is therefore to make life taste better and better. To do so, it constantly explores new courses, joins forces, and takes the lead in a resourceful, enterprising and optimistic way.

About ‘Kees’

Marc van Wanroij and Gijs Jansen started ‘Kees’ under the name ‘Keesmakers’.  They came up with the concept in an attic room and in 2011, Marc and Gijs introduced 'Kees' in the Netherlands by launching it in cheese shops, supermarkets and hospitals.