Mondelēz International has celebrated 50 years of manufacturing Philadelphia cream cheese in South Australia.
Crafted in Mount Gambier, Philadelphia is claimed to be Australia’s number-one and most popular cream cheese, with the factory producing 20,000 tonnes (the equivalent of 80 million tubs) of cream cheese annually. The business, promoted as a “true” South Australian operation, is also said to source close to 150 million litres of fresh milk from local dairy farms annually.
On Friday, SA Premier Peter Malinauskas, Minister for Primary Industries Clare Scriven, past and present employees and local dairy farmers gathered in Mount Gambier to celebrate the milestone.
Mr Malinauskas says Philadelphia cream cheese is one of SA’s most iconic, yet humble exports.
“The Mount Gambier Philadelphia factory is one of SA’s quiet export success stories, taking the Limestone Coast’s quality fresh produce to Australia and the Asia-Pacific,” he says. “The Limestone Coast is a key economic driver for SA and has so much untapped economic potential, which is why my government is investing more than $130 million in the region.
“I congratulate Mondelēz International and its workforce on this significant milestone.”
Site Manager Adam Borchers says he feels humbled and honoured to work with such an iconic and loved product enjoyed in Australia and around the globe.
“Philly is a brilliant example of taking the best of South Australian dairy to the world,” he says. “A third of our volumes are exported to international markets including South Korea, Japan and Taiwan. It’s a thrill to know there’s a taste of SA in every cheesecake and on every bagel made using our brand.”
Philadelphia says it has no plans to slow down, with the business investing $50 million in the last decade to support growth ambitions and export opportunities.
Local demand for cream cheese is said to have “surged” since Covid-19, with Australians inspired to spend more time in the kitchen.
The cream cheese maker has also teamed up with Cadbury, to developed Marble and Caramilk-inspired Philadelphia products.
“We’re incredibly proud of the last 50 years and look forward to continuing to be Australia’s favourite cream cheese spread for many years to come,” says Mr Borchers.