Great South West Dairy Awards finalist Gregor Mews on his Australian adventure

Gregor Mews used to whip up dinner as a chef in the Scottish Highlands. Now he’s a dairy farmer Down Under.

From the Scottish saltire to the Southern Cross, Gregor Mews is flying the flag for dairy work Down Under.

Hailing from Fort William in the Scottish Highlands, the chef decided in November 2019 to take culinary talents to Melbourne.

But four months later, the first of the 2020 coronavirus lockdown were imposed and most hospitality workers had to look to fresh fields.

For Mr Mews, those fresh fields were the paddocks of the tiny hamlet of Southern Cross — located a short drive northwest of Warrnambool.

Scottish farmer Gregor Mews now works on a Southern Cross dairy farm, northwest of Warrnambool. Picture: Nicole Cleary

“Agriculture was one of the categories I could work in under the terms my working holiday visa,” the 25-year-old farm worker said.

“We don’t have much dairy around Fort William, but I had some background in farming. That part of Scotland has beef and sheep farming.

“When I a teenager, I’d work on the dairy farms of friends from school during school holidays. My dad also worked in dairy farming in England many years ago, so I had some understanding of what was involved in dairy.”

Mr Mews was recently a finalist in the Great South West Dairy Awards employee category

and has undertaken several technical courses to finetune his skills.

The dynamic dairy worker has also been a part of study tours to Tasmania and New Zealand in recent years.

“What I’d say to anyone thinking about getting into dairy farming is that there are so many opportunities and people want to help you along the way,” Mr Mews said.

“It’s not like many other careers I know, it’s very supportive and people want you to succeed.

“I’m working towards owning my own dairy farm eventually — it’s been a great change for me.”