Top 6 cheese experiences in Australia
As you’re probably already aware, Australia boasts some of the world’s finest cheese makers, dedicated cheese restaurants and cheese regions – compulsory experiences for any cheese lover.
Throughout the country there is a range of exciting and delicious destinations to taste, learn about and experience your favourite form of dairy. To help plan your next holiday itinerary, we’ve compiled our top 6 Australian artisan cheese experiences in all their brie-llience.
Melbourne’s Milk the Cow Fromagerie, VIC
Established in 2012 and 2014 respectively, Milk the Cow’s St Kilda and Carlton Licenced Fromageries offer a late-night artisan cheese experience like no other in Victoria’s bustling capital.
Take your pick from an evolving selection of over 180 cheese varieties from all around the globe, sip on boutique wines and tuck into a menu of carefully-paired breads, condiments and homemade delicacies. Simultaneously, one of Milk the Cow’s self-confessed cheese nerds will guide you through tastings, pairings and general cheese chatter with unrivalled expertise.
Their famed Grundlegend Fondue is a must-order melted delight, in addition to their monthly platters and house cocktails (yes, even the booze needs a good wedge of cheese). They even offer artisan cheese towers as alternatives to wedding cakes for those with more dedicated obsessions.
Sydney’s Stinking Bishops, NSW
Are you always on the lookout for new ways to modernise, perfect and refresh your cheese platters? The Stinking Bishops – a restaurant and cheese bar – is a Sydney favourite, offering guided cheese platter curation as one of their many attractions.
Their menu is filled with unique dishes from their signature Stout and Cheddar Mac ‘n’ Cheese (a firm favourite) to their Toma Della Rocca Cheesecake (a poppy seed shortbread paired with roasted and pureéd peach). To top it off, take your pick from their extensive selection of carefully-chosen wines to pair with your newly personalised cheese board.
Red Cow Guest House, TAS
Although rare, there is one thing that we think is better than cheese, and that’s a night or two on a cheese farm! Head down to the heart of the dairy industry in Tasmania at the Red Cow Dairy, and escape the real world for a while in the midst of happy cattle, breathtaking scenery and – of course – cheese.
This light-filled, modern getaway is situated on renowned Red Cow property, which is also home to an in-house cheese factory. Here, visitors can taste, buy and even learn to make a range of fetas, mozzarellas, camemberts and bries. Who wouldn’t want to know how to make their favourite delicacy?
Perth’s Fromage Artisans, WA
Hidden in a basement in Perth is a little bar just made for cheese lovers. Using their expert knowledge to pair your cheese selection with the perfect drink to make the flavours dance on your palette in a flight of fancy. While they do offer a limited food menu there’s no denying that when you step through those doors all you’re really wanting is cheese.
Their strict dress code really just translates to smart casual, but lends a sense of elegance to your standard cheese platter. With an impressive selection of cheese from all over the world and offerings that include master classes and gift hampers, your love of cheese is sure to just keep growing.
Stanthorpe Cheese, QLD
While Queensland is traditionally known for its humid weather, when you get into the highlands things take a more temperate turn – which is perfect for cheese. The cheesemakers behind this brand have been farming beef and dairy cattle for over 60 years, so it goes without saying they know what they’re doing.
Head into the tasting room to get a feel for their selection and expert advice on what to serve it with. If you’re after an indulgent lunch, their Jersey Girls Café will make sure you’re well fed, or get yourself one of their cold packs to have a little picnic while exploring the wilderness and wineries of the area.
Udder Delights in Adelaide Hills, SA
A cheese-lovers paradise, Udder Delights is the result of an unbridled passion for all things cheese. This family owned business covers everything you could ever want from a cheese adventure. Head to the cheese cellar for their dairy-fuelled take on high tea, where every option celebrates dairy from their chocolate truffles to their cheesecake.
For a more cheese-filled adventure you can participate in cheesemaking classes or indulge in a delicious cheese fondue for two. Want to take your love of cheese to a whole new level? They even offer custom cheese stack wedding cakes, for when you want your dairy love to be the centrepiece of your event.