Origins — 1893

The history of Castello begins in 1893 with Danish master cheesemaker Rasmus Tholstrup. According to the brand’s own historical records, Tholstrup was distinguished by his willingness to experiment with cheesemaking rather than merely reproducing conventional styles. This pioneering approach has become a central element of the brand’s identity. 3

The brand’s philosophy developed around combining traditional cheesemaking techniques with experimentation, resulting in cheeses characterised by distinctive textures, shapes, and flavours.

Development of the Castello cheeses

A significant milestone occurred in 1944, when Rasmus Tholstrup’s son created a Brie featuring a thin, delicate rind and a creamy flavour. This product eventually became associated with Castello Extra Creamy Brie.

Over subsequent decades, the Tholstrup family expanded its cheese business and developed additional varieties. Castello gradually evolved from a Danish cheese producer into a broader specialty-cheese brand.

Historically, the Castello name was strongly associated with blue cheese. Arla’s historical material notes that until the mid-1990s, only the blue-mould cheese Blue Castello carried the Castello name; the brand was subsequently expanded into other cheese categories.

Acquisition by Arla Foods

A major turning point came in 2006, when Arla Foods acquired Tholstrup Cheese, the Danish family-owned dairy behind Castello. This acquisition gave Arla ownership of the Castello brand and strengthened its position in the international specialty-cheese market.

Since then, Castello has operated as one of Arla’s major international brands. Arla describes Castello as one of its three key brands, noting that the brand’s history reaches back to 1893.

Castello’s portfolio covers a broad range of specialty cheeses rather than focusing on a single style. Major categories include:

• Blue cheese — including Danish Blue and Creamy Blue varieties.
• Brie — including Castello Brie and Double Cream Brie.
• Camembert — soft-ripened cheeses with a creamy interior.
• Cream cheese — including flavoured and specialty cream-cheese products.
• White-mould cheeses — soft-ripened cheeses with characteristic rinds.
• Yellow and semi-hard cheeses — varieties developed as Castello expanded beyond its traditional mould-cheese focus.

Arla currently describes the Castello range as containing more than 40 cheeses, although the exact portfolio varies between countries.

In Singapore, Arla lists several Castello products available in the local market, including Brie, Camembert, Creamy Blue, Danish Blue, Danish Blue Extra Creamy and Double Cream Brie. 5

Blue cheese has historically been one of Castello’s strongest areas. The brand’s blue cheeses are associated with the Danish tradition of blue-mould cheesemaking. Castello has marketed varieties ranging from relatively mild and creamy cheeses to stronger, sharper blue cheeses.

One of the brand’s important historical products was Blue Castello, which helped establish Castello internationally. Arla reported that Castello was particularly strong in blue-mould cheese and described it as a leading blue-mould brand in several markets.

Castello’s identity is built around a combination of heritage and experimentation. The brand describes its approach as using traditional techniques while encouraging cheesemakers to experiment with ingredients, recipes, textures, and production methods. Rather than treating cheese purely as a commodity, Castello positions individual cheeses as distinctive sensory experiences.

This philosophy can be summarised as:

Traditional craftsmanship + experimentation + distinctive flavour + presentation

Castello states that its cheeses are developed by specialist cheesemakers and that individual cheeses are made at dairies specialising in particular varieties. 4

Castello has developed from a Danish cheese brand into an international specialty-cheese business. An Arla report from 2018 stated that Castello specialty cheeses were being sold in 87 countries at the time. 6

Its international markets have included Europe, North America, Australia, and Asian markets. The exact products and branding can differ from country to country because Castello’s portfolio is adapted to individual markets. For example, Arla operates Castello products in Singapore, while separate Castello portfolios are offered in markets such as the United States, Australia, and Japan.

Castello generally sits in the premium/specialty cheese segment rather than competing primarily on basic everyday cheese. Its positioning revolves around several ideas:

• Premium taste
• Cheesemaking heritage
• Creative flavour combinations
• Distinctive textures
• Special occasions and food experiences
• Exploration and discovery

Castello’s current brand communication emphasises creating memorable food experiences and encouraging consumers to “feed their senses.” 6 This represents a shift from positioning cheese simply as a food ingredient toward presenting it as part of a broader sensory and lifestyle experience.

Castello should be understood as a brand rather than an independent company today. Its current owner, Arla Foods, is a large farmer-owned dairy cooperative. Arla acquired Tholstrup Cheese in 2006, bringing Castello into its international brand portfolio.

Arla’s portfolio also includes other well-known dairy brands, but Castello occupies the company’s specialty-cheese segment and has particular strength in mould and premium cheeses.

Castello’s marketing has historically focused heavily on the sensory qualities of cheese—flavour, texture, creaminess, sharpness, and visual appearance. One notable campaign was “Sensations by Castello”, which positioned different cheeses around distinctive sensory experiences. Arla’s 2018 reporting described the brand as offering different experiences through the intensity of yellow cheeses, creaminess of white cheeses, and sharpness of blue cheeses.

The current Castello brand similarly emphasises creativity, indulgence, discovery, and being present in the moment.

Castello is sold in Singapore through Arla’s regional operations. The Singapore portfolio includes products such as:

• Castello Brie
• Castello Camembert
• Castello Creamy Blue
• Castello Danish Blue
• Castello Danish Blue Extra Creamy
• Castello Double Cream Brie

Arla Singapore provides product information and consumer support for the local Castello range.

Castello’s importance comes from its unusual combination of long Danish cheesemaking heritage and international specialty-food positioning. It started with a Danish cheesemaking family in the late 19th century, developed a reputation for experimentation, became particularly associated with blue cheese, expanded into multiple specialty-cheese categories, and ultimately became part of Arla Foods’ global portfolio.

Today, the brand is best understood as an international premium cheese brand with Danish roots, rather than simply as a traditional Danish cheese producer.

Castello is a Danish-origin specialty-cheese brand founded in 1893 by cheesemaker Rasmus Tholstrup, now owned by Arla Foods, whose identity combines traditional Danish cheesemaking heritage with experimentation and a broad portfolio of premium cheeses, particularly blue, soft-ripened and creamy varieties.

1. Castello®
2. Our Story | Castello®
3. Official Castello website
4. Castello Cheese | Blue Cheese
5. Castello® Brie
6. Castello®: Indulging sensations