Barrys Bay Cheese

A few things were happening in 1895. Tchaikovsky’s ballet Swan Lake premiered, Swedish businessman Alfred Nobel passed away establishing The Nobel Peace Prize in his will and in Banks Peninsula, New Zealand, Barrys Bay Cheese was hand-making its first block of cheddar.

Over 120 years on and Barrys Bay Cheese is still creating delicious, memorable cheeses. Although the factory may have changed (in 1952 the first factory sadly went down in flames so a new one was built) everything else remains the same – the handcrafted cheese still as sensational as ever, the milk still locally sourced from grass-fed cows on the Banks Peninsula and the love and care dedicated by the cheesemakers remains strong.

The Barrys Bay collection of cheeses includes real English cheddars, Havarti and the ever-popular Peninsula Blue. They also make a range of Dutch-style cheeses – of particular note is their aged cumin gouda which was awarded Champion Dutch Style Cheese at the 2018 NZ Cheese Awards.

Open seven days a week for cheese tasting and buying, a trip to Duvauchelle in Banks Peninsula to visit Barrys Bay Cheese is a wonderful way to spend a day. September to May is cheese-making season for Barrys Bay so if your visit falls during this period, you might be able to look through the big glass windows into the cheese factory and watch the makers at work – make sure you check out the cheese-making calendar on the Barrys Bay Cheese website to help plan your visit.

Barrys Bay also offers a cheese catering service for events (cheese wedding cake, anyone?) as well as a cheese club that delivers cheese right to your doorstep. Visit their website or email orders@barrysbaycheese.co.nz for more information.