THE GREAT ENTERTAINER
NICK HADDOW, A TRAILBLAZER IN AUSTRALIAN CHEESEMAKING, IS THE VERY WORTHY WINNER OF COUNTRY STYLE’S AWARD FOR ENTERTAINING.
Cheesemaker and brewer Nick Haddow, the winner of our Top 30 Award for Entertaining, reveals how his dream has come true, plus cheeseboard tips.
NICK HADDOW of Bruny Island Cheese Co has made his dream come true. He had always wanted to make cheese from his own herd of milkers. Now as he gazes out at his herd made up of old dairy breeds — Brown Swiss, Australian Dairy Shorthorn and Normande — he is content. He has closed the loop on his cheesemaking process and the cheese he makes is a unique expression of place, that place being Glen Huon Farm in the pristine Huon Valley, Tasmania. Nick honed his craft in Europe after being awarded a Queen’s Trust Grant to work with cheesemakers in England, Scotland, Ireland, Spain, France and Italy, where he learned traditional cheesemaking and maturation techniques. He began Bruny Island Cheese Co in 2003 and still uses farmhouse methods to this day. He is also using raw milk, a relatively new practice in modern cheesemaking in Australia. His Raw Milk c2, a hard cow’s milk cheese that has a mild nutty flavour, is similar to those found in the mountain regions of France and northern Italy. “Raw milk cheese will become more and more a part of our story as producers respond to the demand for cheese that truly reflects where it comes from,” says Nick. “I also hope that we continue to move away from the temptation to copy European cheeses and instead develop unique local styles.” “I am pretty excited by the future of local cheese,” he continues. “Being one of the old men of the industry these days, it is awesome to see a new wave of younger cheesemakers who are taking up the reins.” In 2016, Nick began brewing a range of beers, mostly ales and stouts, under the Bruny Island Beer Co. “If there was ever an all-round, go-to drink that both complements and contrasts with cheese, it is beer,” he says. When Nick is not busy in the cheesery and brewery he likes nothing more than having a big group of friends and family over for lunch or dinner. “I never really have much of a plan. Cooking comes pretty easily to me and feeding a crowd is rarely a daunting task. I always cook four or five dishes and serve them on communal plates. I hate being too structured and much prefer just filling a table with food and letting everyone graze at their own pace. It also means once the food is on the table, that’s it, I’m done. I can sit and enjoy the meal with everyone else,” he explains. As for Nick’s new dream, he’d like to see Australians embrace cheese just as passionately as the French and start enjoying a cheese course before dessert. “But I’m also not against starting a meal with cheese,” he says. “Often, if we have friends around, we will start with a bottle of Tasmanian sparkling and a few cheeses. If there is any left, we will bring them out again at the end of the meal.” To help, Bruny Island Cheese Co has recently established a cheese club. Eight times a year, members receive a selection of Nick’s cheeses delivered to their door, anywhere in Australia, including at least one cheese that has been exclusively made and matured for the club. > For more information, visit brunyislandcheese.com.au