Western Star and Fonterra shine bright with 45 medals at national Dairy Awards
Fonterra’s Australian sites have taken home 45 medals and three trophies at the 2024 Dairy Industry Association of Australia (DIAA) Australian Dairy Product Awards.
Picking up gold and silver medals, plus three trophies for highest scoring products, Fonterra’s locally made butter, cheese, powders, cream and milk has been recognised as some of Australia’s finest, produced at its Cobden, Stanhope, and Tullamarine sites in Victoria, and Spreyton and Wynyard sites in Tasmania.
Fonterra Oceania Director of Supply Chain and Operations, Rob Howell, said these awards confirm Fonterra’s position as one of the nation’s best producers of dairy foods, and highlights the quality of milk supplied by farmers across Victoria and Tasmania.
Cobden butter makers standing proud with the winning products. Back row, left to right: Darren Wynd and Daniel Smith. Front row, left to right: Bruce Grinter and Linda Aurisch.
“It’s such a great feeling to see our brands, our products, our people, and our farmers recognised for their expert craft and quality, helping to put locally-produced dairy into the hands of Australians every day,” Rob said.
“Congratulations to our entire team across the supply chain – those involved in producing and collecting milk on farm, to our people at site, and those who pack and support the distribution of these products.
“This is a whole-of-team effort,” he finished.
The undeniable star of the awards was Western Star™ butter, produced at the Fonterra Cobden site in western Victoria. Western Star™ Unsalted butter and Cultured butter won gold, with the Salted butter picking up silver.
Of the 45 medals, Fonterra Cobden won 25, including 13 gold for butter, cheese, milk powder, full cream milk and fresh cream. They also won the trophy for the highest scoring consumer pack butter for Western Star™ Unsalted Butter, and the trophy for the highest scoring powder for its full cream milk powder.
This news followed an earlier 16 medals for the Cobden site at the state-based Victorian DIAA awards.
Not to be outdone, Perfect Italiano™ cheese made in Stanhope in northern Victoria, picked up gold and silver for the brand’s blends; Perfect Melt, Perfect Bakes and Perfect Pizza, and shaved parmesan, which are grated and packed at Fonterra’s Tullamarine site.
It’s such a great feeling to see our brands, our products, our people, and our farmers recognised for their expert craft and quality, helping to put locally-produced dairy into the hands of Australians every day.
Fonterra Stanhope won seven medals, recognising the quality of their mozzarella, cheddar and fresh ricotta.
Fonterra’s Tasmanian sites collected nine medals between them, five for Spreyton including gold for Duck River™ Premium butter, and four medals for Wynyard, recognising their vintage and semi-matured cheddar cheese. Wynyard also took home the trophy for the highest aggregate score for cheddar cheese.
The DIAA awards are a pathway to the prestigious Australian Grand Dairy Awards held later in the year. Expert judges, renowned for their dairy product expertise, evaluate entries based on their exceptional technical merit.
Stanhope’s cheese team, left to right: Nick Gugliotti, Adrian Jackson, Andrew Jerram, Abby Gugliotti, and Abbey Barry-Pell.