World domination by cheese. That’s the lofty goal of Hunter Valley Smelly Cheese.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
“But in a good way,” co-owner Steven Cooper says with a laugh.
The business has made its first step towards that goal by opening a store at Morpeth, the third one under the Smelly Cheese brand.
The store opened at Morpeth village in late January – making it the first Hunter Valley Smelly Cheese shop outside of the vineyard area.
Mr Cooper said many of the customers who visited the other stores were from Maitland and surrounds, so Morpeth was a logical decision with it also being a popular tourist destination.
Since launching in 2002, the business has grown from a small store at Pokolbin Village to a larger shop at the same location as well as shops at Roche Estate and now Morpeth.
Mr Cooper said the appeal of cheese was there was a flavour for everyone and that it was a food for every occasion – from romantic moments to big parties.
“Every meal can involve cheese,” he said. “It’s a big part of Australian culture.”
He said another attraction was also the diversity of the dairy product, in that brie from France could taste completely different to English brie for example.
“It’s part of the mystery,” he said.
Both France and England are among the countries the business imports cheese from, along with Cyprus, Denmark, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States.
The business also sells local products including Hunter Valley Smelly Cheese specialties that are licenced from Binnorie Dairy in Lovedale as well as gelato made onsite at Roche Estate.
Mr Cooper said business had started slow at the Morpeth shop but had gradually built since the opening.
He said he hoped to be able to increase the store size in the future, as they currently have “as much packed in there as we can without bursting the walls”.
Mr Cooper said he and co-owner Tony Drice also hoped to one day have stores in Newcastle and on the South Coast.