While the Leerdammer brand was not officially born until 1977, its history is much older. It began nearly a century ago with two Dutch entrepreneurs who were destined to create a household name in the cheese-making industry.

In 1914 Cees Boterkooper bought a small dairy in a town called Schoonrewoerd near Leerdam in Holland.

At the same time, Bastiaan Baars was running a cheese distribution business in a neighbouring village. However, the two men didn't actually meet until 1970, and soon after decided to work together to create a new kind of cheese by crossing traditional Dutch Gouda and Emmental cheeses. The result was a natural, semi-hard cheese with holes, a soft, creamy texture and the distinctive Leerdammer taste.