Cheese

AVS Organic Foods
Products:
Vegan products: non-dairy cheese and cream, sauces, pies, black salt and pet treats
Local outlets:
Aunt Maggies, Carlton
Aunt Maggies, Fitzroy
Best of Health, Greensborough
Eastfield Organic Natural Food Market, Croydon South
Leo’s Fine Food & Wine, Heidelberg
Leo’s Fine Food & Wine, Kew
Local Fine Foods, Diamond Creek
Naturally On High, Thornbury
Oasis Fairfield
Quintons SUPA IGA, Warrandyte
Sculli Brothers, Greensborough
Terra Madre, Northcote
The Cruelty Free Shop, Fitzroy
Vegan mini market, Abbotsford
Wholefood Merchants, Greensborough
Wild Things Food, Fitzroy North
Township/suburb:
Watsonia North
Municipality:
Banyule
Notes (in their own words):

AVS Organic Foods (formally A Vegan Smiles) aims to create and provide tasty foods that are free from animal cruelty.

AVS focuses on non-dairy cheeses using different techniques that include culturing, ageing and fermenting. You don’t have to be vegan to enjoy vegan cheese.

AVS is a strong advocate for animal welfare and was founded on a desire to educate non-vegans that foods can taste great (even better without animal products), coupled with the frustration of the limitation in purchasing vegan-friendly or dairy-free products when out with family and friends.

Pantalica Cheese
Products:
A range of Italian cheeses
Local outlets:
Own shop (Mon-Fri 8am-4pm, Sat 8am-midday, Sun closed)
Many IGAs
Township/suburb:
Thomastown
Municipality:
Whittlesea
Notes (in their own words):

Established in 1973, the family owned and operated Pantalica Cheese Company makes a wide range of Italian cheese. These include bacio, bocconcini, halloumi, mascarpone, mozza bella fresca, parmesan and ricotta. Their milk is sourced from Gippsland.

Stone & Crow Cheese
Products:
Unique cow and goat cheeses
Local outlets:
Blackhearts & Sparrows, Abbotsford
Blackhearts & Sparrows, Brunswick
Blackhearts & Sparrows, Fitzroy
Blackhearts & Sparrows, Fitzroy North
Blackhearts & Sparrows, Richmond
Boccaccio SUPA IGA, Balwyn
Cardwell Cellars, Abbotsford
CIBI, Collingwood
Jefferies, Croydon Hills
Locavore Studio, Lilydale
Quintons SUPA IGA, Warrandyte
SuperCheese, Richmond
The Meat-Inn Place, Lilydale
Township/suburb:
Warrandyte South
Municipality:
Manningham
Notes (in their own words):

The Stone and Crow Cheese company make a range of unique cow and goat cheeses, from soft to hard. Head Cheese Maker Jack Holman has been making cheese for more than 20 years, first at Yarra Valley Dairy (where he rose to become their head cheese maker) and then at Stone and Crow (which he founded).

That’s Amore Cheese
Products:
Italian-style soft curd cheeses, including mozzarella, caciotta, bocconcini, ricotta, smoked cheese and matured cheese
Local outlets:
Own shop.
Local outlets:
IGA Gervasi Thomastown
Leo’s Fine Food & Wine, Heidelberg
Leo’s Fine Food & Wine, Kew
Psarakos Market, Bundoora
Terra Madre, Northcote
Toscano’s Kew
Township/suburb:
Thomastown
Municipality:
Whittlesea
Notes (in their own words):

That’s Amore Cheese cheeses are made using cow or buffalo milk locally sourced in Victoria.

Giorgio Linguanti grew up in Italy and migrated to Australia in 2004. Without a word of English, he got a job in a cheese factory where his interest and passion for making cheese ignited. After his experience in two different cheese factories, Giorgio started his own business, That’s Amore Cheese, in 2008. He began with just one product – bocconcini leaf – but was soon also making burrata and smoked scarmorza. In 2010, That’s Amore Cheese took over Donnybrook’s cheese factory and, in 2015, they moved into a larger facility in Thomastown, which includes a retail outlet.

In their shop/deli, you can find their entire artisan cheese product range made daily in their factory right next door, along with high quality Italian cured meats, olives, local, other cheeses (local and imported), Italian products and fresh bread. You can get ricotta calda (hot ricotta) until 10 am every day. There is also a little cafe where you can enjoy coffee, porchetta, pasta, gnocchi, pizza and different kinds of hot dishes (or take away).

The Cheese Rebels
Products:
Soft cheeses
Local outlets:
Township/suburb:
Epping
Municipality:
Whittlesea
Notes (in their own words):

The Cheese Rebels make cheese and sell it in gift boxes. Their cheeses include triple cream brie, triple cream blue, goat feta and blue vein.

Hajo has a Masters degree in cheesemaking and has been making cheese since he was a child. He worked for a variety of small and larger cheese and dairy companies before setting up his own company in 2018.

Wholemilk Continental Cheese Company
Products:
Italian cheeses: pecorino, parmesan, provole, mozzarella, ricotta and more
Local outlets:
Own shop
Deli Delitz, Bulleen
Ivanhoe Pasta Deli
Superfruit Organic, Ivanhoe
The Pines Deli, Doncaster East
Tunstall Deli, Doncaster East
Township/suburb:
Heidelberg West
Municipality:
Banyule
Notes (in their own words):

Also known as Marca Trinacria or Pannuzzo Cheese.

Mr and Mrs Pannuzzo started making cheese themselves in Diamond Creek when they couldn’t find good quality Italian style cheese and so Wholemilk Continental Cheese was founded. With 60 years’ experience the family, now in its third generation, is dedicated to producing a 100% natural product, free from artificial additives and preservatives, giving you the best quality products made from only the best ingredients, with the greatest reward being returning customers.

Yarra Valley Dairy
Products:
Soft style cheeses, both cow and goat
Local outlets:
Own shop
Croydon Brewery
IGA Yarra Glen
Jefferies, Croydon Hills
Lettuce Inn, Hurstbridge
Mitcham IGA X-press
Paul’s SUPA IGA, Ringwood East
Wandin Valley Produce
Local brands sold:
Asterisk Kitchen
City Larder
Cunliffe & Waters
Dench Bakery
Township/suburb:
Yering
Municipality:
Yarra Ranges
Notes (in their own words):

Most of Yarra Valley Dairy’s cheeses are fresh, soft style cheeses made in a style that reflects the farmhouse cheese of France and Italy, although their mature cheeses have also become an important part of their range. The cheeses are made from cow’s milk from nearby Yarra Valley dairy farms and goat’s milk from Gippsland.

All of their cheeses are available for purchase in their Cheese Shop, alongside a range of carefully selected regional produce and local wines. Cheese plates, together with locally baked fresh breads and various regionally produced charcuterie items, are also available to purchase and eat in. The Cheese Shop is open 10.30am-5:00pm every day (except Christmas Day), and is located in a 100 year-old milking shed with beautiful views of the Yarra Valley. You can also view the making of the cheese through a viewing window.