David Brown Story

Milawa Cheese Company was founded by Anne and David Brown in 1988. David "a bit more of a free spirit than teaching allows you to be" had a variety of jobs before setting out for Milawa, including being a "failed electronics entrepreneur" and running Brownies Luncheon Club in Melbourne. Anne and David "preceded the sea change by about 30 years" having young children they "thought if might be nice to raise them in the bush".

The 1893 butter factory in Milawa was chosen for the site of the future factory "we had something of an iconic building but we had to totally, rebuild a cheese manufacturing plant". Having found and developed the site old school friend Richard Thomas began making cheese, "Richard was going to make the cheese and I was going to count the money" says David. The first cheeses produced were Milawa Blue and Milawa Gold but consistency was a problem and with the departure of Richard as head cheese maker meant David had to step out of the counting house into the make room.

The next couple years proved challenging; but David managed to solve some of the cheese making problems as well as develop new cheese lines." We keep modifying our production to improve flavor and consistency and we keep learning all the time". Goat and sheep milk cheeses were added and the range expanded to 25 products. awards began to flowing in.

For Anne and David Brown bring their enjoyment and pleasure of fine handmade cheeses to a wider public is their passion. "The whole thing about specialist cheese is flavor, you can get cheese that feeds you, but to develop maximum flavor, you have to have consistency, you have to make it by hand, and you make it with care. It makes labor costs extraordinarily high but it's a niche we want to be in".