Cheesemaking stretches as far back as ancient Egypt and the bronze age in Europe. Cheesemaking is the craft of making cheese, allowing the nutritional and economic value of milk to be preserved in a concentrated form. There are estimated to be over 1800 kinds of cheese in the world, which are generally classified into the categories of: hard cheese, semi-hard cheese, blue mould cheese, white mould cheese, fresh cheese and goat’s cheese.
Cheese is included as part of the Milk, yoghurt, cheese and/or alternatives group, which is one of the 5 food groups recommended for everyday consumption in the Australian Dietary Guidelines. The Australian Dietary Guidelines recommends 2-3 serves a day, or 4 serves a day for those over 51 from this group. Milk, cheese and yoghurt provide calcium in a readily absorbable and convenient form. They also have various health benefits, such as improved bone health and can protect against heart disease and stroke as well as reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes. This food group is a good source of many nutrients, including calcium, protein, iodine, vitamin A, vitamin D, riboflavin, vitamin B12 and zinc.
As part of the QCWA Country Kitchens Meet a Farmer initiative, we will be speaking with Sara, who alongside her husband Markus, is the owner of Maleny Cheese and Obi Obi Dairy in the Sunshine Coast Hinterlands.
“We are a dairy processer based in Maleny for the past 17.5 years. Currently, Maleny cheese is supplied by our farm, Obi Obi Dairy, and operates in a “milk pool” where we also source milk from four other dairy farms in the region.”
Maleny Cheese products, including their best-selling and award-winning yoghurt, are a staple in independent retailers across Southeast Queensland. They primarily produce fresh, semi-hard and white mould cheeses. The key to the business’s success has been Sara’s strong people skills, Markus’ training in cheesemaking and of course the quality of the milk they source.
“I was born and raised in the city, but my mother and father’s heritage are from Scottish farming stock. I have a background as a nurse which I have retired from. My husband is a Swiss Master Cheese Maker who trained for over 8 years in Switzerland, which led us to build this business”
So, what sets Maleny Cheese apart from the big brand cheeses?
“Without a doubt, it is our good European recipes, as well as the quality of our local milk. Big processors will claim that their milk is local, but it may be in cold storage for a week before they start processing. We start processing our milk the day it arrives and have control over the product from the time it leaves the dairy to our plant.”
Many Maleny Cheese products will arrive on the store shelf within three weeks of receiving the raw milk product. This family-owned business is not only passionate about producing a quality product, but Sara is also a vocal member of the Queensland Dairy Association and advocate for their Fair Go Dairy initiative.
“A new mark has been created about three years ago called “Fair Go Dairy”, it will be a symbol or logo that can be applied to a qualified processor that pays their dairy farmer a sustainable price for their raw milk. We are hoping for approval from the ACCC any day.”
With successful and award-winning products, many ask why Maleny Cheese has not expanded to have their products in larger consumer hubs like Sydney and Melbourne. The decision to stay local is a testament to the passion Sara and her husband have for local eating and sustainability. Their goal of creating a quality product from and for their local community has not changed despite their business’s successes over the years.
“The passion that drives my husband and I is to produce a local food for our local communities. Agencies are constantly at our door asking if we want to gear up for export. But we know we are making products of excellence and taking the business bigger would sacrifice our ability to do that well and consistently. We believe our current footprint is sustainable for the environment and community. We employ 35 local people in our business, and we want to continue to be of value and purpose for them.”
Maleny Cheese has a café on site that showcases their amazing products, in conjunction with other locally made products. A winter favourite is their baked brie, which can be enjoyed at the café overlooking rolling hills, or easily made at home using Maleny Cheese brie.
“Toss the brie in the oven with walnuts, a little bit of sugar and a touch of brandy and in four minutes you have a delicious dish that will impress anybody!”
If you are feeling inspired and are in the Southeast corner, head to your local shop and look for Maleny Cheese products, alternatively you can shop online on their website, or visit them in person in beautiful Maleny and try a sample of their various cheeseboards on a platter.
Be sure to also keep an eye out for the new Maleny Cheese labels, which take inspiration from Markus’ home of Switzerland and will be hitting stores very soon. Check out a sneak peek below!
You can also head to our July issue of the Monthly Munch to try Maleny Cheese’s delicious winter citrus salad, featuring four different kinds of fruit and their Maleny gourmet yoghurt in the ginger flavour. To learn more about the QCWA Country Kitchens program, or the Meet a Farmer initiative, contact us at countrykitchens@qcwa.org.au.
The QCWA Country Kitchens program is proudly funded by Health and Wellbeing Queensland.
Industry: Dairy/Cheese Processing
Location: Maleny, Queensland
QCWA Division: Nambour North Coast
QCWA Connection: Judy Stubbs and Cynthia Daniels, Country Kitchens Facilitators and QCWA Maleny Branch Members
