Maffra Cheese Co.

Science, Soil, Soul

Maffra Cheese Co. is an artisan farmhouse cheese producer in Tinamba, Gippsland, on Gunaikurnai Country. Led by chemist-turned-cheesemaker Ferial Zekiman AM, Maffra makes handcrafted cow’s milk cheeses using milk from its own Holstein-Friesian herd, farmed just outside the dairy.

Maffra’s cheeses are made and matured on farm using hands-on methods, including milling, cheddaring and salting by hand. Its range includes Cloth-Ashed Cheddar, Riverslea Red, Glenmaggie Blue, Tanjil Blue, Brie, Triple Cream and Raclette.

Ferial founded the modern Maffra Cheese Co. in 1991, bringing together an understanding of milk science, fermentation and animal welfare with a farmer’s instinct for season, pasture and flavour. She was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 2016 for her contribution to the dairy industry.

Maffra’s Cloth-Ashed Cheddar is its flagship cheese, matured for 15 to 24 months and recognised with major Australian and international awards, including Grand Champion Cheese at the Australian Grand Dairy Awards. The result is a distinctive Gippsland cheese range shaped by rigorous craft, exceptional milk and a deep connection to place.