BRUNY ISLAND CHEESE CO.
BRUNY ISLAND CHEESE CO.
Founded by Nick Haddow in 2003, Bruny Island Cheese Co. was started after Nick spent 10 years working with specialist cheese makers in many different countries around the world.
Nick is a staunch traditionalist, who recognises that great cheese was made for centuries before modern technology played a role and believes passionately in the old way of making and maturing cheese. For him and Head Cheesemaker Luke Jackson, cheese making is a pursuit of integrity and flavour.
Made and matured using traditional techniques, our range of cheeses changes seasonally and are highly regarded as being some of the finest artisan cheeses made in Australia. We want our cheeses to reflect the seasonal nature of our Huon Valley dairy farm and our herd of rare breed cows. We want our cheeses to show a distinctly Tasmanian character.
Nick is a staunch traditionalist, who recognises that great cheese was made for centuries before modern technology played a role and believes passionately in the old way of making and maturing cheese. For him and Head Cheesemaker Luke Jackson, cheese making is a pursuit of integrity and flavour.
Made and matured using traditional techniques, our range of cheeses changes seasonally and are highly regarded as being some of the finest artisan cheeses made in Australia. We want our cheeses to reflect the seasonal nature of our Huon Valley dairy farm and our herd of rare breed cows. We want our cheeses to show a distinctly Tasmanian character.
“To me, cheese is so much more than a food. It is way more important and interesting than that. It is an expression of a craft which has been practised for millennia. It is the perfect result of agriculture – a word which itself describes two aspect of humans that set us apart from all the other animals on the planet: farming (agri) and society (culture). It is a reflection on us as humans and our relationship with our environment. It illustrates our resourcefulness to provide food for ourselves and our families. And above all things it guides our one of our most fundamental characteristics – our desire for and our pursuit of pleasure.”
Nick Haddow, MILK.MADE.
OUR CORE RANGE
O.D.O
It stands for One Day Old and that is what it is. A simple curd cheese that is simply drained overnight, lightly salted and then when it is only a day old is marinated in olive oil flavoured with garlic, chilli, black pepper and chives. Perfect on an antipasto plate, stirred through hot pasta or crumbled over grilled vegetables.
OTTO
A fresh cheese, wrapped in slices of local prosciutto, that you bake in the oven until the cheese goes all gooey and the prosciutto goes all crispy. Serve it up with crusty bread and a leafy salad and dinner is sorted.
SAINT
Not all white mould cheeses are called brie or camembert. Our Saint is a complex, richly flavoured soft cheese that reflects the seasonal changes on our farm more than any of our cheeses. Firm and deliciously lactic tasting when young, it softens and becomes stronger and more pungent as it matures.
1792
One of our signature cheeses, this pungent washed rind is aged on a slip of Huon pine, giving it a strong smoky character. 1792 was the year the French landed in Tasmania and this cheese is a nod to the traditional washed rind cheeses of France.
OEN
A true labour of love, this cheese is washed in local pinot noir before being wrapped in vine leaves and matured for 3-4 weeks. When young it is fresh-tasting with lemony acidity but as it ages and breaks down, it becomes complex and savoury. If you are looking for the perfect cheese to pair with your pinot noir, this is it.
RAW TOM
Raw Tom is a simple cheese, and yet encapsulates the two things critical to great cheese - fantastic milk, and real maturation techniques. On the outside is a dry, natural rind that is developed over a few months of ageing. On the inside is just pure milk, reflecting what the cows are eating through the seasons.
Made from unpasteurised cow's milk in the tradition of the Tomme cheeses made in the mountainous French Savoie region. He gets along famously with everyone. Tom likes being rubbed.
NANNA’S UNDIES
When we first made this cheese, Nick walked into the maturing rooms and the smell of rosemary and lavender led him to exclaim that it smelled like his grandmother’s drawers… hence the name. A small, semi-hard cheese with a rich savoury character that is brought on by nine different herbs being rubbed into its rind while maturing.
RAW MILK C2
Raw milk cheese is still a very new concept in Australia. Meet the cheese that started the movement, our Raw Milk C2. Out of all the cheeses we make, this is the one we are most proud of. It was the first raw milk cheese in Australia (way back in 2009) and being unpasteurised, is the purest expression of our craft.
C2 is the sort of cheese found throughout the mountains of France and northern Italy. A classic cooked curd cheese made in a traditional large form. C2 matures for 6 - 12 months, during which time it develops a sweet aroma and a mildly nutty flavour. The rind is wiped every week to encourage the surface bacteria that provide this cheese with much of its robust integrity.
raw George
Made from unpasteurised cow's milk, Raw George is a bit like that one uncle we all have; unapologetically straightforward but once you get to know him he reveals a softer, delicate side with surprising depth.
Simple production from farm to factory allows the milk from our cows to develop rich, sweet flavours.
Raw George is crumbly, savoury and with a salty bite. Made in large 5kg wheels, George ages slowly and develops a stronger flavour profile, with intense umami and slightly brothy notes. George delivers great length of flavour.
OUR SPECIAL EDITION CHEESES
DARK SAINT
Made in a small log shaped form to hasten the maturation, this is a variation on our Saint which is rolled in ash before allowing the light white-mould bloom to develop on the rind. A unique seasonal cheese that looks great on any cheese plate.
JACK'S DAD
This cheese pays homage to the grandfather of Australian whisky, Bill Lark (who is also father to Jack Lark). A small, strong, stinky washed rind that gets a liberal wash with some of Bill’s famed spirit to enhance its rind development.
JERRY
Lactic-set, super delicate white mould cheese that relies inherently on the quality of our milk for its depth of flavour. This short shelf-life cheese is best eaten as fresh as possible. Named after Hobart’s famed river of fog, the Bridgewater Jerry, the very light bloom of white mould forms on the rind after about 7 days is almost cloudlike in appearance.
BELLA
Named after our favourite cow, Bella is slightly sweeter and moister than Tom. It also has a slightly trickier rind, which is developed through regular wiping to encourage the surface bacteria to flourish.
WILLIE WASHED
Cider and washed rind cheeses are natural partners, so it made sense to develop a cheese together with our mates at Willie Smiths (makers of the best cider in Tasmania). Small and complex, this cheese punches above its weight.
SMOKED TRUCKLE
We have always looked down our nose at smoked cheese, thinking it was the domain of bogans. So, we thought we had better have a crack at making a good one… and we are converts! The trick is to return the cheese to the maturing room after smoking, so that it forms a rind and develops some aged characteristics.
