Maffra Cheese Company, in the heart of Gippsland, Victoria has a couple of secrets. First, it is not quite in Maffra but is located in nearby Tinamba. Second and the worst kept secret is that they don’t just make cheddar. Their exceptional white and blue mould cheeses are also award winning, artisan products. Ferial Zeikman A.O. is the talented, driving force behind the dedicated Maffra team using traditional methods. Not all so called cheddars are actually ‘cheddared ‘, but Ferial employs the cheddaring process, draining more whey from the curd to produce a harder, sharper more flavoursome aged cheese. Ferial is a qualified microbiologist, combining her knowledge, passion and artisan skill to produce her awarding winning cheeses. That is not a secret!
Maffra Brie
Made once a month for the local district market. It’s this small production and loving care that allows Ferial to produce one of the best kept secrets in the cheese industry. The mould over 2 to 3 weeks ripens the cheese and gives it a luscious silky texture in the true Normandy style.
Glenmaggie blue
The Holstein-Friesian cows at Maffra Farm yield a rich creamy milk. The blue has a buttery firm texture. Medium in strength with a well rounded bite. The paté is slightly crumbly but not dry. Caramel and chocolate with straw notes, the cheese has a warm full finish with some savoury notes.
Tanjil Blue
The annatto berry ( orange colouring ) gives a slight sourness to the cheese and helps to sharpen the flavour. The blue still punches through with a peppery note toward the finish. The cheese has a rich buttery texture that give it a full flavour across the palate.
Maffra Cloth Wrap
The aged cheddar has a rich buttery texture with grassy complex flavours. It can have some crunchiness from the salt crystals formed as the cheese is pressed. Strong tangy buttery taste intensifies with age. The flavour can carry a musty deep hint of its cloth rind. Paté has a light golden colour that darkens with age.
Maffra Mature
Cheddar is styled on Victorian-era cheddar cheeses, with a distinctive sharp flavour and smooth texture. This red waxed cheese has subtle fruity tones offset by nutty notes.