Karen McNamara (Dobell, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Dobell electorate is full of high achievers across a broad spectrum, from sport to innovation. Today I rise to talk about a unique and special high achiever. Little Creek Cheese is a family owned and operated cheese business located in Wyong. Little Creek Cheese was originally a hobby for Russell and Sue Parsons, which began as they mused how to make cheese while enjoying cheese and wine on their deck at their home in Lisarow. From a mere musing, to ordering a cheese-maker online, five years later and the owners and cheese-makers of Little Creek Cheese have never looked back. They are now an award-winning enterprise, with an impressive total of 48 awards won in the past four years. Based in the heritage listed Wyong Milk Factory, the factory yearly processes about 1,000 litres of cows milk to make around 100 kilograms of cheese. The factory also makes about eight kilograms of cheese from around 80 litres of goats milk. Little Creek Cheese produces handmade gourmet cheeses using Australian and Hungarian family recipes. Recently Little Creek Cheese took our five awards at the 2016 Sydney Royal Cheese and Dairy Produce Show. They won gold for club cheddar cumin and club cheddar onion. They were also awarded silver for their barbecue cheese and halloumi, and bronze was awarded to their club cheddar gin, garlic and dill salad cheese. The gold for club cheddar cumin was particularly impressive, as it was the first year this particular cheese has been entered into the competition.

Little Creek Cheese is growing rapidly and is extremely popular with locals and tourists. Now Sue's son Alex is working full-time in the family cheese business. The cheesemakers have recently teamed up with Distillery Botanica in Erina to produce cheeses with Moore's Vintage Gin and are also making a beer cheese with Block and Tackle. They also supply their cheese to restaurants, businesses for corporate functions, cafes and specialty food distributors. Little Creek Cheese can be found at farmers' markets across the Central Coast, but the best way to experience this very special artisan cheese is to visit their factory at the Wyong Milk Factory. Visitors can watch cheese being made, taste the range of cheeses and chat to the cheesemakers and, of course, take home the perfect cheese platter.

My congratulations to Russell, Sue and Alex for their outstanding success at the recent Sydney Royal Dairy Awards. I am sure they will continue to make delicious, award-winning artisan cheeses. I encourage everyone visiting Dobell to drop into the Wyong Milk Factory to try some of these extremely special cheeses. Once again, congratulations to Little Creek Cheese.