Many cheesemakers produce cheese in Australia, ranging from large companies like Bega Group and Real Dairy to smaller, artisan producers such as Milawa Cheese, Tarago River, Barossa Valley Cheese, Maleny Cheese, Bruny Island Cheese, and Ashgrove Cheese, often using local milk and traditional or innovative methods to create diverse cheeses from cow, sheep, and buffalo milk.
The terroir of the land also varies greatly between regions, providing distinct differences between products. Regions producing cheese include Queensland, Adelaide, Barossa Valley, Victoria, Tasmania, and New South Wales.
According to Expert Market Research, the top 7 cheese companies are Nestle SA, Danone S.A., Dairy Farmers of America, Inc., Lactalis International, Fonterra Co-operative Group, Royal FrieslandCampina N.V., and Arla Foods amba, among others. The global cheese market reached a value of about USD 102.09 billion in 2024.
We are the Bega Group and we're proudly Australian-owned. For over a century, we've been passionate makers and innovators of food and today, we produce foods, beverages, and ingredients that millions of people use daily.
Yes, Bulla Dairy Foods is still proudly Australian-owned and operated by the same three founding families (Sloan, Anderson, and another related family) since 1910, making it one of Australia's oldest family-owned dairy businesses, producing all its products in Victoria using local milk.
Bega, famously known for cheese, recently acquired the former Kraft Peanut Butter factory in Victoria, and the original recipe, adding the delicious spread to its portfolio, keeping hundreds of Aussie jobs for Victorian factory workers.
🧀 Our blind-taste test crowned Waitrose & Partners the best mature cheddar, with Marks and Spencer close behind and Aldi UK taking the Great Value title. Turns out supermarket cheese can outshine the big brands!
A "100% real cheese" is any natural cheese with minimal ingredients like milk, salt, and enzymes, such as Cheddar, Swiss, Feta, or fresh options like Ricotta, while products like processed "American cheese" (e.g., Kraft Singles) are technically "cheese products" containing emulsifiers and additives, not 100% pure cheese, so always check the label for a simple ingredient list.
Known as the “King of Cheeses”, Parmesan, or Parmigiano Reggiano was first produced by Benedictine and Cistercian monks a thousand years ago. Over the centuries, it has acquired global prominence and is now a hugely popular choice for food-lovers the world over.
There's no single "best" cheese, but top contenders often cited include Holy Goat's La Luna (goat cheese), Prom Country's Inverloch Blue, Long Paddock Cheese, Fromart's Devil's Foot, and Apostle Whey's Southern Briez, with recent awards recognizing Montefiore Trecce (Grand Champion 2025) and Inverloch Blue as top specialty cheeses, showcasing Australia's diverse, high-quality artisanal scene.
Coles Brand Australian cheese is made using 100% Australian milk, and is currently sourced from dairy processors who purchase milk from farmers, under contracts that allow the processor rather than Coles to set the farmgate price.
Bega Cheese is an Australian owned and operated cheese company located in the beautiful Bega Valley, on the south coast of New South Wales. The company was founded as a dairy co-operative in 1899, and many of the current owners of Bega Cheese are the 100 plus dairy farmers.
Located amongst the green pastures of the Bega Valley is the home of the famous Bega Cheese. Visit us and sample some of our award winning cheese or enjoy a milkshake on our verandah overlooking the Bega River.
One of Bega's most notable achievements came in 2017 when it acquired several iconic Australian food brands from Mondelez International. This $460 million deal included the purchase of Vegemite, ZoOSh, and the rights to use the Kraft brand in Australia for peanut butter and cheese products.
Let's take a closer look at how they work and the incredible farmers behind the scenes. Dairy farms are spread all over the country, but most of Australia's milk comes from the southeast. Think: Victoria, Tasmania, parts of South Australia and New South Wales.
The unhealthiest cheeses are generally highly processed varieties like American cheese singles or cheese spreads (due to high sodium, additives, and lower nutrients) and very rich, creamy soft cheeses like Brie, Camembert, or triple-crèmes, which are packed with saturated fat and calories, making them best as infrequent treats, says sources 1, 5, 6. Harder cheeses like Stilton and Roquefort can also be high in saturated fat and sodium, respectively, notes sources 4, 8.
But here's the spooky thing: Kraft Singles isn't actually cheese. Legally, it can't be called or classified that because it contains less than 51% cheese. Instead, Kraft Singles is a processed amalgamation of pasteurized milk by-products. Maybe this doesn't come as a surprised.
The cheese slice used in our menu items like our Big Mac®, Cheeseburger and Quarter Pounder™ with Cheese contains approximately 60% real cheese (51% Cheddar and 9% Other Cheeses).
Aldi is the place to go for budget cheeses.
The overall winner when it comes to cost-efficiency is Aldi — and flavorwise, its cheeses held up pretty well. There were times when I thought Trader Joe's cheeses felt a little higher quality, but nothing was impressive enough to stop me from going for the cheaper choice.
The healthiest cheeses are often fresh, low-sodium options like Cottage Cheese, due to its high protein and low calories, and Mozzarella, known for being lower in sodium and fat. Other excellent choices include Ricotta, Goat Cheese, and Parmesan, offering good protein, calcium, and flavor without excessive calories, though portion control remains key for all cheeses.
Several milk brands are 100% Australian owned, including Norco, an Australian farmer-owned co-operative; Riverina Fresh, a long-standing Australian dairy company; and Procal, a family-owned dairy in Victoria, plus brands like aPLUS milk, Little Big Dairy Co, and Great Ocean Road Dairy, all emphasizing local ownership and production to support Australian farmers and communities.
In Australia, the Kraft branding was retired in 2017. Kraft's successor company in Australia, Mondelez, sold their cheese products line to Bega Cheese, but retained rights to the Kraft name.
The main controversy in the litigation instigated by Kraft was that it alleged Bega was engaging in misleading and deceptive conduct because Kraft claimed to still own the “get-up” or “trade dress” of the peanut butter jars.