The Iconic Brand That Makes Cracker Barrel Store-Bought Cheese Products

The Cracker Barrel brand is a staple in the cheese and dry goods section of your favorite grocery store. You may have walked past the brand hundreds of times without giving a thought to which brand actually makes the dairy product. It's in the name, right? Wrong. 

Let's just start by dispelling that common misconception once and for all — the Cracker Barrel brand of cheeses is in no way associated with the restaurant chain by the same name. Now that we've got that sorted, let's dive into the cheesy history of Cracker Barrel. Producing a range of cheese products in blocks, slices, cracker cuts, cubes, sticks, and even pairing boards, the Cracker Barrel brand of cheese is associated with quality and consistency. You may not be surprised to learn that a major name in the cheese industry is behind the brand. The Kraft Heinz company — famous producers of Kraft Mac and Cheese, Oscar Mayer, Ore-Ida, Kool Aid, Lunchables, and so much more — is the same brand behind Cracker Barrel cheeses. Cracker Barrel was introduced by Kraft in 1954, and has since expanded its range of products and established itself as a tried-and-true favorite of the grocery store cheese aisle.

Cracker Barrel says on its website that it was "born from a love of quality cheese and a passion for cheddar-making heritage and values." Cracker Barrel cheddar is an award-winning cheese, so it makes sense that cheddar of various sharpness and hues is a primary focus. This high-quality cheddar is produced using proprietary heirloom starter cultures that the company has incorporated into its recipes for over 50 years. As they say, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Before the Cracker Barrel brand was born, the Kraft company was already a major player in the cheese industry. James L. Kraft began his business as a door-to-door cheese salesman in 1909 and successfully scaled his business to the food behemoth that is the Kraft Heinz company today. Beyond the many types and shapes of cheeses made by Cracker Barrel, you can also buy a line of macaroni and cheese products from the brand. From a luscious, creamy, boxed macaroni and cheese to oven baked and microwave dinner versions, the Cracker Barrel brand is capitalizing on its cheese authority and is backed by one of the most seasoned producers of cheese in the game — Kraft Heinz.