One of Tasmania’s finest family dairies has been sold to TasFoods for an estimated $1.55 million.
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Pyengana Dairy, founded and owned by Jon and Lyndall Healey in the north-east of the state, began in 1992 as a speciality company to add to the Healey family’s farm milk supply.
The sale covers the business assets, the lease of the factory and assignment of a milk supply contract with the adjacent dairy farm.
The current staff at the dairy, which also has a cafe attached, will be offered ongoing employment with TasFoods.
Mr Healey said the decision to sell was not made lightly and the family would continue to work with TasFoods to develop and maintain the brand.
“After 25 years of running our family dairy business we have decided to hand over the reins to a new company who will help the business to grow,” he said.
“Our decision to sell has not been made lightly and I am delighted to be able to continue to work with the new owners TasFoods who are committed to honouring the heritage of our brand and products.”
TasFoods chief executive Jane Bennett said the Pyengana Dairy brand was a perfect fit within the company’s “heritage and provenance” food strategy.
She said having Mr Healey remain with the farm to work with TasFoods was ideal.
The Healey family has been part of the Pyengana dairy community for more than 100 years over four generations.
Since its foundation, Pyengana Dairy has grown to produce more than 30 tonnes of cloth bound cheddar per year and 800,000 litres of milk, exporting cheese across Australia and selling milk throughout Tasmania.
“The Pyengana Cloth Bound Cheddar is one of the most recognised and celebrated premium Cheddar Cheeses in Australia and the Real Milk brand has a strong and loyal following in Tasmania,” Ms Bennett said.
“The channels to market used by Pyengana Dairy are the same as those used in the existing TasFoods dairy brands Meander Valley Dairy and goat milk brand Robur Farm, so we will achieve good synergies and gain some efficiencies.”
Ms Bennett said future plans for the dairy include expanding both milk amd cheese production into different types, while maintaining the integrity of the award-winning cloth bound cheddar Pyengana Dairy has become famous for.
“There are very few regions in Tasmania where families have been cheese-making for over a hundred years,” she said.
“It’s the only part in Tasmania to lay that claim and it’s a fabulous location.”
