Over the Moon

There's no better milk than that from the Waikato, says Sue Arthur from Over the Moon Cheese. “It's the right climate for happy cows”. She would know – the cow's milk used in her award-winning cheese comes from her neighbours, which also happens to be her old farm. “It's the next best thing to having our own milk.” Since leaving her executive job behind and founding Over the Moon in 2007 (on her own, as “no one else was crazy enough”), Sue and her team have won more than 125 medals and trophies both at home and abroad. While some credit can be given to the exceptional milk, most lies with the cheesemakers and their passion for pushing New Zealanders' taste boundaries. “New Zealand has traditionally been a nation of cheddar eaters, but the popularity of artisan cheese is growing massively, so much so that some reports show a decline in sale of cheese blocks. We need more artisan cheesemakers in New Zealand – we can't keep up with the demand.”

The Putaruru store sees hoards of hungry patrons pop in to observe the masters at work and to try a range of Sue's specialties, including The Black Sheep – a semi-hard sheep's milk cheese with smoked paprika – and Southern Cross – a semi-hard, four-milk blend (buffalo, cow, goat and sheep).

Luckily for those not passing through Putaruru,

Over the Moon cheese is also available at the Cambridge deli, a range of stockists nationwide, and online. 33 Tīrau Street, Putaruru, or 70B

Victoria Street, Cambridge (deli only). (07) 883 8238, overthemoondairy.co.nz

The Putaruru store is also the site of the New Zealand Cheese School, where future cheesemakers undergo an intensive one-week course that sees them recreating Sue’s iconic cheeses. newzealandcheeseschool.co.nz