I doubt that Sheree Sullivan’s parents, Trevor and Estelle Dunford, could foresee just quite how the life of their family was going to look 15 years down the track, when they made the move from the outer-Adelaide suburb of Elizabeth, in 1995, to an acreage in the small hills town of Lobethal and decided to get a few goats. The few turned into forty, milking became their new hobby and it wasn’t long before cheesemaking was in their sights and Udder Delights was born.
Trevor and Estelle went on to develop a factory in Lobethal, at the old woollen mills and, in 1999 at the ripe old age of 21, Sheree took on marketing their product, travelling to gourmet shops, doing demonstrations and offering tastings. Sheree also went on to teach herself cheesemaking and, with the assistance of business mentors and coaches, learned as much as she could about business management. Now she and her husband Saul (who has himself become a cheesemaker) are partners with her parents in the ever-expanding factory. Showing all of the energy and enthusiasm that has become so very familiar to me as the mark of our local producers, Sheree directed her intensity into building a manufacturing base and a brand for their excellent artisan cheeses while Saul has worked on increasing the production in the factory. Their goats are long gone now, and all the milk is sourced from a herd of Saanen goats at Middleton.
In 2006, Sheree and Saul threw caution to the winds, sold everything they owned and opened up the Udder Delights Cheese Cellar in Hahndorf and have since gone on to win the 2010 Food SA Growing Small Business award at the Premiers Food Awards. And growing is certainly what Udder Delights continues to do at a startling rate. This small business now employs 20 people in the factory and the store. Sheree, who also has 2 small children and appears to have more hours in her day than I do, is constantly working at the marketing side of the business, oversees the distribution and retailing aspects, runs enormously popular cheesemaking classes which book out months ahead and has developed a fantastic Cheese and Wine Trail, in conjunction with some of the Adelaide Hills wineries. The trail involves purchasing a basket of Udder Delights delicious cheeses and following the trail, on a map provided, to selected wineries for a three course progressive picnic with pre-matched wines.
In the last few weeks, Udder Delights has released the new “Divine Dairy” range of certified organic, biodynamic soft cheeses, designed to appeal to slightly more sophisticated tastes. Rich, creamy and with more developed flavours, Sheree sees this as where the collective Australian palate seems to be heading and has plans for even more products to come.
As they continue to expand the production capabilities of the factory, Sheree’s plans continue to grow, too. Udder Delights cheeses are available all around Australia now and in independent supermarkets, but Sheree’s goal is for Udder Delights to be the largest privately owned artisan cheese makers in Australia.
I don’t, for a minute, doubt that she’ll do it!
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How very exciting! I went here on my SA trip and bought some cheese. It was delicious and I’ve seen their cheeses pop up around a few places now 🙂
Great name and great product. I love goats cheese and we are lucky to have Meredith in Victoria for similar style cheeses.
Thanks for this story Amanda – you’ve just got to love success stories such as this one. Wish I knew about this place when I made a trip to Hahndorf in the bus with a group of ladies late last year.
What an awesome success story huh. I’ve actually tasted this amazing cheeses & delighted to hear they’ve add a newbie to their range. Hats off to these guys, I never knew the background story 🙂
There’s something about the Adelaide Hills that’s brings the creativity out of people. We moved to Birdwood in 2003, a tree change for family & health reasons. In 2007 we started our little business and it continues to grow steadily.
I love hearing these stories of how people have changed their lives completely. It takes incredible guts to do it, and I really take my hat off to anyone that does it, (you included Amanda, and pumps, irrigation and fencing…all part of the love right 😉
I don’t think I’ve seen this cheese before, but I’ll keep an eye out for it.
(Thanks for the kind words regarding Little Monkey too.)
Lorraine – I’m glad to see that Udder Delight is getting something of a profile in the eastern states.
Kate – The Meredith cheeses are very good, too.
Judy – you’ll just have to organise another trip!
Anna – I’m such a sticky-beak. I love finding out about producers.
Tricia – there might be something in your theory. I never wrote before we moved up here.
Brydie – I’m not sure about how much love I have for the pumps some days. Fingers crossed for the recovery period.
Isn’t it wonderful when a family is able to work together and continue to work together over generations like this? And turn their seachange into a whole new business in the process!
Lovely story Amanda, thank you!
I love these cheeses! I still haven’t visited the cheese cellar but intend to drive up there one sunny Autumn day 🙂 I just love reading your behind the scenes stories – it really provides a fabulous depth to my enjoyment of the wonderful foodie products made right here in SA.
Inspiring, passionate story – we can achieve a lot if we believe…..and work together. Thanks for sharing this with us