Drysdale Cheeses to close after 19 years

A BELOVED cheese producer on the Bellarine is moving on to its next chapter after almost two decades of serving the region.

Drysdale Cheeses, located on the corner of Scotchmans Road and Portarlington Road, has called time on its business.

Owner and Indented Head resident Corinne Blacket said it was time to move on from the goat cheese business after 19 years, with Drysdale Cheeses’ dairy licence expired and the business sold to Lakey Farms.

“Putting the girls in the transport to send up to Bacchus Marsh was a tough day, but we’ve been working with Lakey Farms since 2017, so we know their farming ethics are aligned with ours.”

“The goats have gone to such a good place, 250 acres of regenerative farmland just outside of Bacchus Marsh.

“We worked out we’ve been operating for 7,662 days since we opened the farm, dating back to December in 2005 and it’s just been great working with the animals in such a welcoming community.”

Known for its award-winning goat cheese, Drysdale Cheeses was part of the Australian Specialist Cheesemakers’ Association and was also a founding member of the Bellarine Taste Trail.

The business has undergone change over the years, making the difficult decision to shut its retail portion of the business in 2018 to focus on its suppliers as a wholesale producer.

Drysdale Cheeses has produced about 50 tonnes of cheese over the years, and cared for between 200 and 300 goats in that time.

Ms Blacket has also recently received a clean bill of health 12 months following her breast cancer treatment, which has also played a part in her decision to close the business.

“If there’s anything else I can add, it would be to tell ladies not to ignore their routine mammograms; just do it,” she said.

“My treatments are what pushed me over the edge – everything is fine now, but I cannot not recommend getting regularly checked enough.”

Drysdale Cheeses has already transferred all of its machinery and equipment to the new owners and will begin delivering its final cheese orders in the coming days to customers.

The Blackets’ Scotchmans Road land has already been leased to a new tenant.