The Range News is Maleny's premium Weekly Newspaper delivered each Friday
to the People of the Sunshine Coast Hinterland from Glasshouse to
Kenilworth and west to Peachester.

Maleny Cheese opens its
doors this Easter Saturday

by Cameron Outridge

Australia’s newest cheesery and Maleny’s latest tourist attraction is opening its doors on Easter Saturday.   Maleny Cheese is a new purpose built, small cheesery where local milk is used to make cheese, yoghurts and other fine dairy goods.   Visitors will be able to learn and watch the art of cheese making, taste new flavours and relax on the Café deck.

The cheesery began more than three years ago, as Swiss-trained Master Cheese Maker Markus Bucher and his family searched Australia for the ideal dairying region.   They were looking for an area where dairy farms had small herds of cows and no silage feed was used in winter.    To their joy, they discovered Maleny and met David and Heather Simpson.   The Simpsons are third generation dairy farmers who were looking to value-add to their dairy business.    They milk around 100 head of ‘happy cows’ and make milk which is perfect for cheese making according to Markus.

Together, over the past two years the Buchers and Simpsons have established Maleny Cheese. Some assistance from the Commonwealth, coupled with input from both families has made it possible for the cheesery to be completed as it stands today.   It is situated on the Maleny Montville Road, not far from Tree Frog Gallery and Maleny Touchwood and across the road from Bendles Cottages and The Vireya Venue.  “Maleny Cheese offers visitors a panoramic view, like no other, onto the working Markus Bucher and some of the wonderful produce at the new Maleny Cheesery. floor of a European styled cheesery,’’ said Markus.

Markus Bucher has been making cheese for over 25 years. His career has taken him from Switzerland to many different states of Australia making cheese.    It was his passion for perfection that led him to Maleny, where he now sources top quality, ‘silage-free milk’ from a small herd of cows, just as in Switzerland.   With this milk he is able to make his exquisite range of premium quality dairy goods for Maleny Cheese.

Maleny Cheese is open seven days a week from Saturday 10th April 2004, 9am to 5pm.

Markus Bucher and some of the wonderful products at the new Maleny Cheesery