Cheese in Tasmania

South of Hobart

Grandvewe at Birchs Bay, 40 minutes south of Hobart, makes sheep milk cheese and runs hosted tastings from $30 in its Tasting House, open Friday to Monday from 11am to 3pm. Across the channel, Bruny Island Cheese Co. at Great Bay gives free tastings of its cheese and beer every day from 10am to 4pm, about 15 minutes' drive from the ferry.

Richmond

Wicked Cheese, at 1238 Richmond Road, is about 30 minutes from Hobart and offers free tastings all day in its café, open daily 10am to 4:30pm except Good Friday, Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

The North-East

Pyengana Dairy, 25 minutes from St Helens, has made cloth-matured cheddar for more than 130 years. Watch the cheesemakers and look down into the cellar through a louvre window, Wednesday to Sunday 9am to 3pm.

The North-West

Ashgrove Cheese at Elizabeth Town, 25 minutes east of Devonport, opens daily 8:30am to 5pm. You can watch the cheesemakers through glass panels Monday to Friday, and tastings start at $12.

King Island

King Island Dairy has a cheese store at its factory in Loorana, with tastings, platters and baked brie. The island is reached only by air, and the store keeps short winter hours, so plan ahead.

A Five-Day Route

Day one, Grandvewe and the Bruny ferry; day two, Bruny Island; day three, Richmond and up the east coast; day four, Pyengana and on to Launceston; day five, Ashgrove on a weekday and the ferry from Devonport. Check opening days first, as Grandvewe and Pyengana are closed early in the week.