Nine To Noon The story behind Oamaru's champion cheese
Mar 29, 2026
Simon Berry, managing director of Whitestone Cheese and chair of the NZ Specialist Cheesemakers Association, talks award-winning Monte Cristo sheep's milk cheddar and what makes it special. He discusses long ageing, seasonal milk supply and the craft behind consistent quality. He also covers challenges like retail shelf space, packaging choices and the need for stronger visibility for specialist cheesemakers.
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How Monte Cristo Won Three Times
- Whitestone's Monte Cristo sheep milk cheddar won Champion Commercial Cheese for the third time overall and second year running.
- Simon Berry credits fresh whole sheep milk from south of Christchurch, an old 1990s recipe and slow waxing and 12+ month maturation for its flavour.
Patience Shapes Championship Cheese
- Slow maturation matters because enzymes work gradually to develop depth of flavour in cheddar.
- Berry describes a stringent grading process where younger wheels are held back until they reach the right flavour before release.
Seasonal Milk Creates Production Windows
- Seasonal milk supply constrains production because ewe lactation runs spring and summer only, so Whitestone makes during that window and stocks cheeses to mature off-season.
- Berry notes ewes drying off now and no sheep milk until around October–November.