THE Wilde family owns Western Australia’s only sheep dairy in the heart of the jarrah forest to the west of Nannup. On verdant, highly-productive 65-hectare farm, Bruce and Jane Wilde and their son Tom maintain a milking flock of ewes — a cross between the east friesland breed, originating from the Dutch-German border, and a number of other breeds to create an animal that is hardier than the pure east friesland.
Jane makes the soft cheeses by hand using traditional french recipes: they are turned daily in a curing room with temperature and humidity control. The hard cheeses, made by Tom, are aged for at least 26 weeks before release.
The Wildes also grow an orchard of citrus, stone fruit and avocadoes and about 60 varieties of heritage apple maintained on a chemical-free basis. The family was selected as a Western Australian participant in Slow Food’s international Terra Madre: World Meeting of Food Communities in Turin, Italy, in October 2006. Tom, his partner Emma Hooker and sister Nerrilea have also been selected as Terra Madre youth delegates in 2008.
There are only 12 sheep dairies in Australia. Sheep cheese is often described as the ‘rolls royce’ of cheeses, renowned for its unique flavour, subtlety and texture.
soft cheese
ashover 130g
blewe x weight
camembray 170g
cundinup brie 170g
friesette 170g
fresh cheese
boursin herbed 85g
boursin plain 85g
fetta in grapeseed oil 200g
hard cheese
farmhouse gold x weight
st john’s brook manchego x weight