Steve Ronalds and Sallie Jones, of Gippsland Jersey, are learning traditional Italian cheese making skills from John Interlandi (centre), whose family founded Europa Cheese.
Gippsland Jersey began as a micro business processing single origin liquid milk from Jersey cows.
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That was in the second half of 2016.
This year, the company moved into a cheese manufacturing factory to continue value-adding to its range of dairy foods.
In doing so, they have adopted the mantle of a very old Italian family manufacturing Parmesan, ricotta and other cheese and dairy products.
The story of Gippsland Jersey is a story of rapid growth in a shrinking domestic milk production pool.
Since the company was established, Australia’s milk production has dropped two billion litres.
Initially, Gippsland Jersey milk was processed by a third party, from milk produced on the Jindivick dairy farm of Steve and Bec Ronalds, and the product was marketed by Sallie Jones.
A crowd funding campaign two years later saw the co-principals, Sallie Jones and Steve Ronalds, move their processing to a facility at Lakes Entrance.
The farm was owned by Sallie’s family, and they used the funds to fit out and expand a processing factory on the property, with processing starting in that building in January 2020.
Sallie Jones and Steve Ronalds of Gippsland Jersey have moved their processing stainless steel from Lakes Entrance to Pakenham. The Lakes Entrance factory was fitted out in 2020 after a crowd funding campaign.
Photo by
Jeanette Severs
Their own factory was an opportunity for the pair to rapidly begin value-adding to their dairy offering — liquid milk in one and two litre bottles, cultured butter, cream, sour cream, buttermilk, crème fraiche, non-homogenised milk specifically created for baristas, and yoghurt.
By this time, four farms were supplying a portion of their production to Gippsland Jersey.
All the milk was sourced from Jersey cows.
More recently, Sallie and Steve have purchased a new factory, at Pakenham, to increase their value-added offering to include cheese.
The Europa Cheese factory at Pakenham was for sale and the Gippsland Jersey founders have snapped it up.
They are now learning to make ricotta, pecorino and other cheese products with a view to diversifying a greater dairy foods offering.
They are also utilising the factory shop, with a retail offering.
The first batches of ricotta and pecorino were made on February 8.
“We’ve been looking for a new property for a couple of years, because we’re outgrowing the Lakes Entrance factory,” Steve said.
“The Pakenham property has a lot of space to grow and to put all our processing equipment in there.”
After buying the property in October 2024, Steve made many trips carting stainless steel with his trailer from Lakes Entrance to Pakenham.
“The Lakes Entrance factory will remain the cool store and distribution centre for Gippsland Jersey products in East Gippsland and into NSW,” Steve said.
“Most of our milk and other products are transported to Melbourne, so it makes more sense to have delivery facilities in West Gippsland.”
Steve Ronalds installed the stainless steel and refurbished the factory at Lakes Entrance in late 2019, and has repeated the experience in Pakenham.
Photo by
Jeanette Severs
Steve made the last butter at Lakes Entrance on December 6. He then packed up the butter making equipment and moved it to the Pakenham factory.
“Our first obstacle was re-commissioning all the equipment and getting that fired up at Pakenham,” Steve said.
He said he was looking forward to making a range of hard cheeses, including cheddars and Parmesans.
Europa’s previous owner, John Interlandi, is working alongside Steve and using his traditional recipes to teach him the skills of cheese making.
The first ricotta came out of the tub on February 6.
“We won’t see Jersey Parmesan for a fair while, because it takes 12 months to mature, but we’ll be regularly making ricotta,” Steve said.
Gippsland Jersey was named Australia’s best milk in the Dairy Industry Association of Australia awards ceremony in May last year.
It followed the accolade of being named Victoria’s best milk only a week prior.
In the DIAA Victorian Dairy Product Competition, Gippsland Jersey was awarded Overall Milk Champion for its full cream milk, and Highest scoring pasteurised (homogenised) milk.
In the DIAA national Awards of Excellence, Gippsland Jersey achieved the highest scoring unmodified full fat milk.
“We’re calling it the Best ‘Real’ Milk in Australia,” Sallie Jones said at the time.
“Our flagship product is Gippsland Jersey Full Cream Milk, and now DIAA have deemed it our jewel in our crown.
“What a journey the past eight years have been for us.
“It has been an eventful journey, with many ups and downs. We’ve faced numerous challenges, including the ongoing pursuit of perfect milk quality.
“There’s been times when it hasn’t met expectations, and we’ve had to change course rapidly.
“We’re confident now that Gippsland Jersey consistently offers incredible quality and it’s the best milk for coffee, breakfast, or to enjoy any way.”
At the national awards, Gippsland Jersey also received gold awards for its full cream milk, its unhomogenised milk, its light milk and its ghee, and silver awards for its unsalted butter and cultured sour cream.
“Getting the awards has raised awareness of our brand and increased demand for volume,” Steve said.
“We’re growing, and a lot of that is on the back of the awards.”
That growth also means they are looking for more milk suppliers.
Gippsland Jersey was originally established as a single origin milk processor, and the Lakes Entrance facility enabled the founders to expand into value-added dairy food products. Those products included cultured butter.
Photo by
Jeanette Severs
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