A family business with more than 150 years of history, as well as a major international player in the food industry, the Bel Group offers portioned products made from milk, fruit and vegetables, with the goal of providing healthier and more sustainable food for all. The Group has strong local ties and relies on constantly evolving industrial facilities that are increasingly innovative and responsible. As part of a push toward continuous improvement involving its entire ecosystem, Bel wants to address major societal and environmental issues with a new food model that has a positive impact on all generations.
Our history
A Jura family business
In 1865, Jules Bel established a comté cheese ripening and trading business in the Jura region of France. Following his death in 1904, his son Léon took over the business. In the aftermath of the First World War, the nascent cheese industry flourished in France and Léon Bel foresaw the potential of processed cheese as a tasty, affordable product that’s easy to carry and preserve. As a result, he embarked on a manufacturing venture, founding the Fromageries Bel corporation in 1922.
Accessibility, industrialization and nutrition
In 1921, Léon Bel registered The Laughing Cow® trademark – a totally new product in France, with its original recipe, melt-in-the-mouth taste, packaging in individual portions, triangular shape, and wrapping. With its red cow logo commissioned from the famous animal illustrator Benjamin Rabier, Léon Bel also created new marketing innovations and established early on a unique link between the young brand and its consumers.
Today, The Laughing Cow® has become a worldwide institution and been joined by other iconic brands that have since been launched or acquired. The descendants of Jules Bel continue to preside over the future of the family business.
Current CEO Antoine Fiévet represents the fourth generation of the family business.
International ambitions and Canadian roots
As early as 1929, the year the first foreign subsidiary was established, Bel Group was a pioneer in the export of cheese.
In Canada, The Laughing Cow® made its appearance in 1956, Boursin® in 1978 and Mini Babybel® in 1985.
In 2005, the company definitively established roots here by creating its Bel Cheese Canada subsidiary, which spurred the development of the Group’s operations across Canada and implemented a local production strategy.
Production and Partners
Being faithful to the values that have made it an international success, The Group Bel Canada associates with local partners who help it build close relationships while also offering products from its international production facilities. In this way, Group Bel Canada can put a smile on the faces of all Canadian consumers.
The Group Bel Canada has chosen a business model that draws on the recognized expertise of the national dairy industry, and therefore also benefits local players in the dairy sector. This alliance has enabled Group Bel Canada to be certified SQF 2000 and FSSC 22000, while applying the standards of the Group Food Defense Standard.
A Mini Babybel plant in Sorel-Tracy
The first Mini Babybel® plant in Canada was built in Sorel-Tracy. We are very proud to be contributing to the economic development of this region of Quebec. In 2025, we are hiring more than 170 people to make our cheese in a modern facility that features the best in equipment, health, safety, and security measures, as well as development opportunities for our new employees. Our confreres at Laiteries Chalifoux, producers of the Riviera brand, have partnered with us throughout this project.
The Fromagerie Bergeron plant in Saint-Nicolas: A family story
All across Canada, The Laughing Cow® is part of everyday life for families. To satisfy this demand, Groupe Bel Canada has partnered with a company that shares its values and enthusiasm: the Fromagerie Bergeron plant in Saint-Nicolas, near Quebec City.
Since 2007, this local company has produced the renowned The Laughing Cow® cheese for the entire Canadian market. Every year, this dairy, founded in 1940, meets the annual demand of Canadians. The famous triangular portions are produced in the farming region of Chaudière-Appalaches, to the delight of cheese lovers.
Groupe Bel Canada and Fromagerie Bergeron, both family businesses, share the same values and a common vision to offer superior quality cheeses.
Agropur: An Alliance of Industry Leaders
Dairy producers, they partnered in 2010 to make Boursin® in Quebec. Since January 2011, the iconic Boursin® puck has been produced at the Canadian co-operative’s cheese dairy in Saint-Hyacinthe.
As a result, Groupe Bel Canada can count on this partner of choice, ensuring that Canadians can enjoy irresistible Boursin® any way they like.
International production
With its strong global network, Group Bel Canada benefits from agreements with the group’s production facilities to offer Canadian consumers brands that are not produced locally.
Fulfilling all the requirements of Group Bel Canada, these industrial entities of the Bel Group can provide products.