Cream rises to the top as cheesemaker claims prize

Denmark cheesemaker Chris Vogel has been crowned best small cheesemaker at the Perth Royal Dairy Awards last week.

Mr Vogel started his cheese factory, Dellendale Creamery, as a side weekend project seven years ago.

His high-quality cheese is now sold at various IGA stores in Perth and the Great Southern region.

He spent 10 years in Switzerland to hone his cheesemaking skills before deciding to return to Denmark to develop his own factory using locally sourced milk from T A Hick & Co dairy farm.

With a background in the Australian dairy industry and a strong passion for cheese, Mr Vogel developed a variation of mild to full-bodied cheese to fit domestic consumers’ tastes.

“We basically used raw material — we only have four input products and we don’t put additives or preservatives,” Mr Vogel said. “A lot of the stabilised cheese — they don’t really develop that strong character, but we don’t stabilise, we just manufacture the cheese because we want that change in flavour.

“And that’s the key for us — we are small, but our products have been ripened out correctly in a traditional way.

“They lose weight over time, so it loses a bit of moisture and that creates different flavours in the cheese.”

Dellendale’s semi-firm, washed-rind Raclette was declared the winner of the champion cheese award from more than 300 applicants who entered the Perth Royal Dairy Awards.

Its Triple Cream Brie also scored a silver award in the competitive White Mould Ripened Cheese class.

His prize-winning cheeses were also served at the Taste WA premium food and beverage marquee during the 2017 Perth Royal Show.

Mr Vogel will bring his cheese to the 2017 Food for Thought Festival at Albany Town Square on Sunday, October 8.