Frequently Asked Questions
We pack orders each week on Mondays and Tuesdays (to prevent cheese hanging out in a post office over the weekend!). Once sent it can take between 1-3 days to get to you anywhere in Australia, depending on your location. We pack orders in insulated boxes with plenty of ice to survive the journey.
All our parcels have authority to leave stickers on them so the courier will leave this at your property. If there are any special delivery instructions then please write these in the comment box provided when you place your order.
You can store your cheese at home in your refrigerator, in the crisper part at the bottom along with your veggies - this tends to be a bit more humid and better for the cheese.
It's advisable to re-use the paper your cheese arrives wrapped in (this is porous and will enable your cheese to breathe). Keep harder cheese wrapped in a damp cotton cloth (a cheese bag is ideal) - every few days just re-moisten this.
Soft cheeses will continue to mature and develop the longer you leave them so keep an eye on them, the softer they are to touch, the stronger and more pungent they will be.
All our cheeses are marked with two dates - the first being the date it was made and the second being the date we suggest you should consume them by.
When it comes to Best Before dates, for artisan cheeses you could almost read it as a "Best Around" date. That is the date that the cheesemaker has determined that the cheese will be at its peak condition.
Our policy for online orders is that we aim for a minimum of 2-3 weeks before the Best Before date. It should be noted that the trade-off with a longer shelf-life is that the cheese isn't as ripe and flavorful.
Most soft cheeses and washed rind cheeses remain in great condition well after their Best Before date has expired and simply continue to mature. To get the best out of your cheese, try to serve them when the Best Before is close to its date (or just after.)
We encourage you to use your senses to assess the condition of your cheeses, and note that many cheeses simply get better and better with age. Most naturally occurring moulds that grow after a Best Before date can either be simply wiped off with a damp sponge or cut off.
Sometimes bits of mould still grow on the rind and this is totally fine to eat.
These moulds comprise just some of the diversity found in our aging rooms. Our goal in the making and affinage, or aging, of our artisan cheese is to promote diversity in safe and flavourful microflora, and allow for a great variety of moulds, yeasts, bacteria, and fungi to prosper. We do not aim to create a sterile aging room, and are happy to promote diversity all in the name of a delicious final product.
Our vine-leaf wrapped OEN is particularly prone to mould finding a home in its leaves. The white mould is the same as on our Saint and the blue grey is what grows on Tom.
The mould is fine to eat, or if you prefer, we suggest just wiping away the mould with water on your fingers (like it's being slightly washed).
If you have any questions at all feel free to contact us and we'll do our best to get back to you as soon as possible.