It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Bay of Fires Cheese’s Ian Fowler is pretty darn good at making cheese.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The ex-Englishman is, after all, the 13th generation of Fowler cheesemakers in a family tradition spanning nearly 400 years, making them England’s oldest cheesemaking family.
Having moved to the St Helens in 2009, Mr Fowler obtained a cheesemaking licence in 2013 and has since gone about making his mark on the national industry.
Bay of Fires Cheese’s two specialty products have both won Australian awards within the past three months, with its cloth-bound cheddar cheese taking out an Australian Grand Dairy Award in February and its semi-hard rind cheese winning the Dairy Industry Association of Australia’s Merck award earlier this month.
Mr Fowler said the East Coast had proved a great place to continue the family business.
“The move has been a good one for us, we like it here in the north-east corner of Tassie,” Mr Fowler said.
“We picked this area because for the rainfall and the sunshine and we guessed where the grass would grow.”
Mr Fowler, who is expecting to increase production over the coming months, said a small but dedicated team of helpers had been a major factor in the company’s success.
“This time last year I was still milking the cows and making the cheese but we've got a contract milker in now, so the job's been split up and now I can concentrate on making cheese.
“My wife Tracey she plays an important role, she helps a lot.
“You've got to surround yourself with good people and i'm lucky enough to have those people around me otherwise it just wouldn't work.”