GOOD TASTE COMES

The original Barrys Bay Cheese Factory was opened on 6 October 1895. Starting life as one of nine small dairy cooperatives on Bank Peninsula, Barrys Bay is now the last surviving cheese factory. In the early days, cheese was collected by boat, and in later years it would travel by train from Little River to Lyttelton Port. Over the years, Barrys Bay Cheese has earned a number of accolades and admiration for the quality of their cheese, which became renowned internationally, winning the ‘Bledisloe Cup’ for their Cheddar at the British Dairy Show in 1950.

In 1953, a new cheese factory was built to allow for expansion while the local dairy industry was booming. By all accounts, it was the most modern factory in NZ at the time and is the same factory producing cheese today. At the height of production, Barrys Bay Cheese produced 400-plus tonnes of cheese per year, and nearly all of it was exported to England. The signature cheese was the 36kg Clothbound Cheddar truckle, which is still made today. But when Britain joined the Common Market in the 1970s, the cheese factory’s focus turned to the domestic market, and they started making Cheddar in 20kg blocks which were easier to cut and handle.

Despite two brief closure periods in the 1980s, the factory fell into the right hands by 1989 with the first family ownership. A Dutch cheesemaker was brought in to teach the team how to make Gouda, Edam, and Maasdam – diversifying the range. 125 years on, and they’ve persevered with traditional methods to handcraft award-winning cheeses. Combined with fresh local milk and a generous measure of time on the shelf, they’ve learnt that sticking to their knitting makes a very fine cheese. You can visit their factory shop today for a cheese tasting and watch the cheesemakers in action.

barrysbaycheese.co.nz