Cheese was on the menu, in particular hand-crafted artisan cheeses that win international recognition, at the South Gippsland Dairy and Farming Expo.
The Dairy Industry Association of Australia hosted an event on September 6, the first day of this year’s dairy expo held at Korumburra, in Victoria.
The event was titled ‘Why Gippsland is Australia’s premier dairy region’.
The question comes on the back of international recognition for Berrys Creek Gourmet Cheese, Tarago River Cheese and Maffra Cheese, all located in Gippsland.
Barry Charlton, from Berrys Creek Gourmet Cheese, and David Johnson, from Tarago River Cheese, were invited to discuss cheese, the cheesemaking process, and whether awards make a difference.
Chef Matty Wilson, also a member of DIAA, presented for eating, the cheeses from both companies that received awards at the International Cheese and Dairy Awards (ICDA), held in the United Kingdom in June and July this year.
Berrys Creek Gourmet Cheese was awarded three trophies, all for blue cheeses: The Reefer 90s Award Best Australian Cheese; The Rowcliffe Trophy awarded to Supreme Artisan-Specialist Cheese, outright award; and ICDA Trophy for Champion Asia-Australasia Cheese, for blue cheeses made from cow and buffalo milk. Berrys Creek Gourmet Cheese was awarded Supreme Specialist/Artisan Cheesemaker Champion, for Mossvale Blue, a blue cheese made from cow’s milk.
Gold medals were awarded for Buffalo Milk, any cheese, soft or hard (open) for the Riverine Blue variety; Blue Cheese, hard or soft (open to non UK producers only); Best Australian Cheese ‒ Blue, any milk; Best Australian Cheese ‒ any variety.
Tarago River Cheese received one gold and two bronze awards at the ICDA awards.
Tarago River Triple Cream was awarded gold in the Best Australian Cheese soft/semi soft class. Jensen’s Red received bronze in the Washed Rind Cheese (open class) and bronze for Jensen’s Red in the Washed Rind Cheese (Australian producers class).
Another Gippsland cheesemaker, Maffra Cheese Company, received the gold award in the Best Australian Cheese ‒ cheddar, mature. TasFoods received the silver award in the same class.
Berrys Creek Gourmet Cheeses are made from buffalo milk and cows milk — two separate farms and owned independently of the cheese factory.
Tarago River cheese is single origin, with the factory on the same property as the dairy farm.
Maffra Cheese products are single origin, also with the factory on the same property as the dairy farm.
All produce artisan cheeses using milk produced by cattle grazing pasture in Gippsland in southern Victoria.
For the cheesemakers, their first priority is producing a quality product that has consumer appreciation and commercial benefit.
“I believe differentiating ourselves to produce quality will beat quantity any time,” Barry Charlton said.
A cheesemaker by trade, in 2007 Barry started his own business, creating blue cheese.
“Artisan cheesemaking is about understanding the impacts of weather, feed and the cows’ contentment state,” he said.
“I’ve chosen the herds I want to use their milk, with an understanding between myself and the farmers about how they look after their animals.”
David Johnson is the third generation of his family to lead Tarago River Cheese and still milks cows every day and raises the calves for his herd.
Tarago River Cheese produces soft, washed rind, and blue and white cheese.
Food writer, Richard Cornish, said the quality of the pasture shows through in the taste of the cheese produced in Gippsland, including those of the attendees.
“I think it’s the climate and if you look after the cows they look after you,” David said.
“Our rule is the cows have to be eating at least one-third of their diet as green grass.
“In the vat, giving poor food to cows equals stressed fats and proteins in the milk.”
When it comes to making cheese, the skill is still a rare art.
“It’s very difficult to find training courses,” David said.
“It’s easier to recruit people who are passionate about cheese and cheesemaking, and train them ourselves.”
Like his predecessors, he favours chefs and the current general manager of Tarago River Cheese is Philip Botes, a former chef turned artisan cheesemaker.
Other award winners
Meredith Dairy, in south-west Victoria, received an ICDA Bronze award for its Goat’s Milk Cheese with additives – Garlic (open class), for their marinated goat’s cheese with garlic, thyme and peppercorn; and a silver award for their national goat’s cheese in the category Goat’s Milk Cheese (open to non UK producers only). Meredith Dairy has previously won ICDA Gold awards.
Camel Milk NSW won a gold award in the category, Bottle/Carton of Flavoured Milk made with whey protein ingredient (open).