General News
22 July, 2021
Organic dairy set to expand production
MORTLAKE Organic Dairy is set for sustained growth following the recent addition of new equipment which could double on site production.
MORTLAKE Organic Dairy is set for sustained growth following the recent addition of new equipment which could double on site production.
The joint venture between L’Artisan Cheese and Symons Organic Dairy, which has been producing in Mortlake for about a year now, recorded a strong year which has left L’Artisan Cheese owner Matthieu Megard optimistic for the future.
He said the plan for this financial year was to take a steady approach with the new equipment, increasing production between 20 to 25 per cent.
“We’d pretty much be able to double our production with the new vats, and work in a much more efficient way,” he said.
“It’s going to be a very important part of the factory now.
“We also have new cooling vats to be able to receive more milk, which meant we were able to bring on our third local organic dairy farmer from Mepunga in January.
“A new separator will also help us be much more precise in the way we work in terms of cheese quality.”
Mr Megard said the investment will lead to an expanded product range hitting shelves in the near future.
“We’re going to start making cheddar, we do a lot of parmesan at the moment, and we’ve had a mozzarella machine arrive as well,”
he said.
“We are also about to launch under the Symons brand a special alpine cheese under the name of Mount Shadwell, which should be popular with the local community.
“We have had three visits from guest cheese-makers who are experts in their field to help build the skills of our cheese-makers and to introduce some new recipes for new cheeses.
“It’s quite an exciting time. It’ll give us the option to expand our product range and to experiment with new products.”
General manager Brendan McKenzie said the first year of production had provided an opportunity to refine efficiency, and predicted an even bigger year ahead.
“I think our first 12 months has been about consolidating and being more efficient across our processes,” he said.
“The next 12 months is all about growth.
“We’ve made quite a significant investment which is quite encouraging for the future.”
Mr Megard said the move to Mortlake had been “quite fantastic”.
“We’re closer to the milk source, there are plenty of local people who are working both for us and with us, and the trading has been great,” he said.
“The welcome in Mortlake has been fantastic. We’re definitely happy to be here.”
The development of working relationships in Mortlake has proved to be strength for the company, according to Mr McKenzie.
“We’ve got plenty of local employees from Mortlake, so it’s a fantastic opportunity for them, and we’ve been building relationships with local tradespeople and contractors who support the growth of the business,” he said.
“They’ve been fantastic for us.”
Mr Megard said he was pleased with the energy of a predominantly younger workforce, who are building a career close to home.
“We’re seeing people wanting to stay here, having a career and making a living, and staying put in Mortlake,” he said.
The ongoing complications of the COVID-19 pandemic has caused highs and lows for the business, but Mr Megard said increased sales from the year prior highlighted a bright future.
With lockdowns slowing the import of competing products from Europe, the local product had been able to fill the gap. However, the delivery of the new equipment had been delayed seven months for the same reason.
“It has been volatile,” he said.
“Orders have come up and down depending on what is happening with lockdown.
“L’Artisan Cheese is half retail and half food service, so when we have a lockdown the sales drop a little bit.
“Symons Organic Dairy is primarily selling in retail, so their sales have increased.”
Mortlake Organic Dairy will also look to expand in the spring through the addition of seasonal workers in September.
“If anyone is interested in cheese making and dairy, that’s a good opportunity to work in a hands-on role,” Mr Megard said.
“We offer on-site training and no specific qualifications will be necessary.”
