Bruny Island Cheese Co.’s raw milk product celebrates winning international accolade

Collaboration, patience, and teamwork are the secret ingredients in Bruny Island Cheese Co.’s pioneering raw milk product, and its rise to the top of the world.

Bruny Island Cheese Company, head cheese maker Luke Jackson and founder Nick Haddow with their award winning Raw Milk C2 Cheese at Hill Street Grocer, Sandy Bay. Picture: Chris Kidd

Collaboration, patience, and teamwork are the secret ingredients in Bruny Island Cheese Co.’s pioneering raw milk product, and its rise to the top of the world.

After the company’s Raw Milk C2 hard cheese took home a rare Super Gold Medal at the recent the World Cheese Awards in Norway, founder Nick Haddow described the long and difficult road in getting approval to use unpasteurised milk.

“It took a lot of work, but it also took the support of the Tasmanian Dairy Industry Authority who I approached when I first started making cheese in Tasmania 20 years ago,” Mr Haddow said.

“Raw milk cheeses are the benchmark around the world.

“In 2009 we were given permission to start making the Raw Milk C2, which was groundbreaking at the time and was the first unpasteurised cheese to be approved in Australia.

“All of our milk is produced by us, at a small organic dairy farm in the Huon Valley ... which is focussed on flavour, quality, animal welfare, and regional character.”

Mr Haddow paid credit to the talents of head cheesemaker Luke Jackson for helping bring home the highest honour from what Mr Haddow described as the most serious and most important cheese awards globally, with over 4500 entries and expert judges representing 38 countries.

“It’s a grind for the team, and the way that we do what we do is hard work. There’s always an easier way, but we are absolutely rusted on to our commitment to quality,” Mr Haddow said.

Premier Jeremy Rockliff congratulated the company for bringing home the “significant accolade”.

“People come from across the world to visit Bruny Island, and with mouth-watering delicacies produced by home-grown companies like Bruny Island Cheese Co. it’s no wonder why,” Premier Rockliff said.