Three years ago fifth generation Gippsland dairy farmer Daniel Hales and his wife Chelsie bought the Prom Country Cheese business in Moyarra. It signalled the start of a new phase, in which they would use their own milk supply to become boutique cheesemakers.

Daniel’s family has been dairy farming along Lance Creek in Bass Coast Shire for over 140 years. His great great grandfather established the “Glen Moidart” property in 1886.

The farm is certified organic and Daniel still milks the cows every morning with his mother Carolyn and father Paul.

“To take the process from the start of creating it, looking after the soil the whole way through to milking the cows, to an entirely hand-made product, was a big attraction,” Daniel said.

Everything the cows consume is produced on the farm.

Prom Country Cheese opened about 11 years ago, and the Hales bought the business in 2022 from Burke and Bronwyn Brandon.

Making the cheese

A typical cheese making day starts at 3:30am at Glen Moidart farm with the milking of the cows. The milk is pumped directly into a tanker and taken straight from the dairy farm to Prom Country Cheese.

“Once the cows’ milk is pumped through the pasteurises, the cheese making process can begin,” says Daniel. “When the milk is pasteurised it gets emptied into the cheese vat where the starting cultures are added. That’s the bacteria, mould and yeast - everything that will eventually give the cheese its pungent smell when it’s matured.”

Once the milk is set into curds it gets cut and then pressed so all the whey drains out of the cheese. From here different pressure and aging techniques can be applied depending on what type of cheese is being made.

Any excess whey from the process is transported to an organic pig farm and used as a food source.

Daniel said it’s a lot harder to create the correct environment for good cheese ageing when you don’t have an underground cellar.

“You are trying to emulate cheese caves with humidity and temperature control,” he said. “You’re trying to encourage the yeast and moulds to grow.”

Daniel leaves their camembert to rest and develop that musty smell in a consistent environment of 13.5C and 98 percent humidity.

All elements of the process - the milk, bacteria, humidity - influence the flavour of the final wheel of cheese. Daniel says “that’s why we focus on raw milk cheeses, everything that the cows consume in the pastures comes through in the cheese flavour”.

Dairy delights

I sampled the Brewer’s Gold, which is a smooth, creamy and malty cheese, brine-washed with Mountain Goat Steam Ale. This daily washing process gives the cheese its golden rind and contributes to its malt flavour.

The Kongwak contains native pepper berries, and the spice and floral aroma burst through its rich six-month aged profile.

Prom Country Cheese is open Saturdays from 11am to 4pm (excluding public holidays). You can also find their cheeses at selected retailers.