Medals for top Kiwi cheeses
After tasting 240 New Zealand made cheeses, judges have bestowed medals upon 199 of the entries.
An early decision she and husband Adrian made was not to produce their own milk, rather to source cow and goat milk from local farmers and just focus on making cheese.
"We built our own plant from scratch and that was a very big undertaking, buying the right equipment at the right price. We discovered that while NZ is good at making stainless equipment they only make larger items, so in the end we purchased some from Germany," she says.
The Walcrofts collect the milk they need in a special 400 litre vat and the amount they collect depends on the demand for their cheese. On average they produce about 400 tonnes of cheese annually.
They produce a wide range of artisan style cheeses including camembert, blue mold, 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 and some retail outlets. They also sell online.
Jill says at least part of their success is the quality of the milk. She says the fact that they make cheese at a boutique level means it's a handmade product and must be made with the best of ingredients.
"The fact that we collect milk that was grass the day before and by first thing in the morning that milk is on its way to being made into cheese is important.
"A big factor is Adrian, who is a bit of a perfectionist, has an eye for detail and has a passion for making food. That is where the science and art meet and while you could be great at doing that technical stuff, I think having that passion for the product is very important," she says.
As they were driving back to the Manawatu, Jill says she and husband Adrian were already thinking about 'where to now'. She says there are many options such as growing the business, maybe stepping back a bit and thinking of what succession may look like.
"Being a small business, there is always the risk of burnout, so being able to step back from the day-to-day work can be attractive," she says.
Jill says all options are on the table and none are being ruled out and they will take time to savour their wins and then think about the future.
