Artisan Cheese with Sue & Dave Barrett

I have said many times that having to give up the joy of artisan cheeses in all its gooey lusciousness or firm tasty flavours is the one thing that would stop me ever becoming vegan. There are some ok vegan nut-cheese alternatives but, for me, nothing beats the delicious flavours and textures of a beautiful ripe or aged milk cheese.

Artisan cheesemaking has been part of the boutique production community in New Zealand for many years. Unfortunately, New Zealand has lost some premium producers in recent years, many having fallen victim to tough trading conditions and hefty compliance costs. Small, artisan, producers have traditionally had to meet the same strict production and compliance standards at big players, like Fonterra for example, but without the scale to absorb associated costs.

David and Sue Barrett are no strangers to hard work, having owned or been partners in several other businesses in the region, but it is their cheese story that both intrigues and impresses me. They are a very rare and unique company in New Zealand and globally, in that they produce artisan cheeses from sheep milk, cows’ milk and goat milk in the same facility – some 25 different cheeses all up – and that doesn’t include their delightful range of dairy products including yoghurt, Kefir, cream cheese and sour cream.

To put this in perspective, virtually all European artisan cheese producers generally make just one or two different types of cheese from a single milk type. One facility making multiple cheeses from three different animal milks is almost unheard of. As Dave says “it’s a logistical nightmare at times, but very satisfying as well.”

The sheep milk used to be sourced from a flock milked on their Upper Moutere property, but it proved to be unviable, so the sheep milking equipment was sold to a farmer in Canterbury. Fresh sheep milk shipped weekly to the facility in Upper Moutere during the season from early spring to late autumn.

Something similar happens with the goat milk. Fresh goat milk is shipped directly to the cheese facility several times a week from various farms locally and further afield. And this is in addition to the range of cows’ milk cheeses they produce using A2 milk they source from Nelson based producer, Oaklands Milk.

Dave has cheesemaking in his blood, his father had been a cheesemaker in Denmark before his parents immigrated here in the 50’s. However, using their entrepreneurial and marketing experience Dave and Sue have taken artisan cheesemaking to a new level.

“I’m not a cheesemaker but we are both passionate about cheese and other dairy products. Our original head-cheesemaker, Francis is from Eastern France so our cheeses have a strong French and Swiss influence. Francis returned to Europe tree years ago, but he trained our current team to his high standards, so we have outstanding cheesemakers who continue to hone their skills.

“He visited us again early this year and we spent some time in the factory refining new techniques and flavours with the team.”

To the cheeses; the A2 cows’ milk cheese is produced under the Little River brand while the sheep milk cheeses are under the Thorvald brand. Dave says Thorvald was his father’s middle name, so the brand is named in honour of his parents.

The latest addition, goats’ milk cheeses, are produced under the Valhal brand. I must say some of these cheeses are among our favourites. We buy the natural, soft, fresh goat cheese and smoke it to use in salads and risotto. Having a decent natural fat content the smoke molecules bind to the cheese beautifully.

Sustainability and animal welfare are also important to the couple, so they work with milk suppliers who have similar values. For example, Dave says “as well as the Oaklands A2 milk being an exceptional product to work with their commitment to reducing waste via re-fillable glass bottles is important. In fact, we have a fresh milk refill facility at our retail shop, The Junction, opposite Connings in Richmond.”

Dave says they have noticed at the shop that people who used to screw their noses up at the thought of trying sheep milk cheeses are becoming fewer and far between from the early days. Most people are prepared to at least try them. They may not be to their taste, just like some people don’t like blue cheese, but they are willing to give them a go. “We see the tastings we have at The Junction and at the market stall on Saturdays as an important way to give people a chance to taste a cheese they wouldn’t normally try.”

Some of the world’s greatest cheeses like Roquefort, Pecorino, Manchego and even feta are traditionally made from ewes’ milk while cheeses made with A2 milk are often able to be eaten by people who are dairy intolerant. And don’t think the goat milk cheeses have an offensive flavour, the cheeses made under the Valhal brand are elegant and delicious.

So be like us, always have some Little River yoghurt and a small selection of beautiful cheeses in your fridge at home.

Published in the Nelson Mail 01-05-2026