Australia’s oldest artisan dairy, King Island Dairy, has swept this year’s Royal Tasmanian Fine Food Awards winning five gold medals in the Dairy – Cheese category.

The 120-year old dairy, renowned worldwide for its traditional cheesemaking process won Gold for their Endeavour Blue blue vein cheese, Roaring Forties Blue blue vein, Black Label Double Brie washed rind, Furneaux Decadently Creamy double cream style brie, and Stokes Point Smoked Cheddar.

“This is an incredible result and we’re so proud of our cheesemaking team for delivering another batch of delicious cheeses for everyone to enjoy,” said Managing Director Nick Dobromilsky.

“It shows that the traditional ways of doing things are still often the best, and we can’t wait to see what’s around the corner in the National awards.”

Winning Gold medals at the State show qualifies the cheeses for entry into the premier national competition, the Australian Grand Dairy Awards this October.

The results follow a bumper year in accolades for the dairy, with King Island Dairy Stokes Point Smoked Cheddar winning Champion Flavoured Cheese at the Dairy Australia 2024 Australian Grand Dairy Awards. While their Furneaux Double Brie won the Bronze award in the 2024 Brie category at the World Championship Cheese contest in Wisconsin, USA.

Back in Aussie hands

If it wasn’t for two enthusiastic Australian entrepreneurs, King Island Dairy may not have been around to enter these – or any – dairy awards.

Entrepreneurs Graeme Wilson and Nick Dobromilsky – with Dobromilsky hailing from Tasmania himself – joined forces to save the Dairy from potential closure earlier this year and bring it back into Australian hands and joint family ownership.

The new leadership team’s vision is to invest in product innovation, enhance retail partnerships, and reinforce King Island Dairy’s connection to the land and its skilled cheesemakers.

King Island’s iconic Dairy is the small island’s largest employer, established over 120 years ago. Its award-winning cheeses are available at Coles, Woolworths, and other gourmet retailers.