Champion cheesemaker's death shocks industry

Just a few months ago Walcroft won the top award at the annual NZ cheese awards and Cartwheel Creamery, which he and wife Jill ran, won three other major cheese awards.

This included the artisan supreme award. Their cheesemaking business is based on a small property in the Pohangina Valley just outside Palmerston North.

Walcroft was a climate change scientist with Landcare Research before turning his hobby of cheesemaking into a full time and very successful business. He famously did a cheesemaking course in 1996, the week before his wedding to Jill.

His wife Jill told Dairy News in an interview a few months ago that there was a certain attraction in running their own business and interacting with people as opposed to writing science papers. An early decision the couple made was to not produce their own milk, rather to source cow and goat milk from local farmers and just focus on making cheese. They built their own plant from scratch.

Cartwheel produces a wide range of artisan-style cheeses including camembert, blue mould, traditional tome, soft washed rind, Feta style and halloumi style. They sell their cheeses at farmers markets, some big shows and events and also to restaurants, some retail outlets and online.

Jill described Adrian as a bit of a perfectionist, with an eye for detail and a passion for making food.

The chair of the Specialty Cheese Association, Simon Lamb, told Dairy News that his colleagues in the industry are shocked at the news of Walcroft's death.

"There is a real sadness throughout our membership over his sudden death," he says.

Walcroft was on the governing board of the Speciality Cheese Association and led the regulation sub-committee.

Lamb says in this role he was dealing with MPI, the dairy industry bodies and he was focusing trying to get a better deal for the smaller operators and bringing down the cost of compliance.

He says compliance is a huge part of their cost of production for the smaller operators. Walcroft was also looking into the whole auditing process for the industry.

In the 10 years in the industry he used his science background to good effect and Lamb says the awards he received were worthy of a person who contributed much to the sector.

“As well as being an amazing cheesemaker, Adrian was a really nice person. He was quietly spoken but when he spoke people listened because he always had something interesting and worthwhile to say.”