cheese like his grandfather Jeremiah before him — and we
make it exactly the same today. Kevin was superintendent
of six cheese factories and had written a lot about cheese. of six cheese factories and had written a lot about cheese.
HHe and me and my my mother’s father, George Mother’s father, George Manowski, were a great anowski, were a great
support when we began the cheesemsupport when we began the cheesemaking here.” aking here.”
Following that first cheddar, they now mFollowing that first cheddar, they now make a range ake a range
of hard cheeses —of hard cheeses — “W “We are the only edame are the only edam m maker on the aker on the
mmainland” —ainland” — and soft cheese such as feta and ricotta, along and soft cheese such as feta and ricotta, along
with pure Jersey creamwith pure Jersey cream, crèm, crème fraîche, pot-set yoghurts and e fraîche, pot-set yoghurts and
full creamfull cream and skim and skim m milk. The purpose-built cheesery has ilk. The purpose-built cheesery has
a retail section open daily for cheese tastings and sales.a retail section open daily for cheese tastings and sales.
Dan is head cheesemDan is head cheesemaker, while Rebekah shares the aker, while Rebekah shares the
mmarketing with her marketing with her mother; brothers Geoff and Steve are other; brothers Geoff and Steve are
involved, too. “The faminvolved, too. “The family mily memembers have different roles, but bers have different roles, but
we overlap so it’s not hard to replace one of the mwe overlap so it’s not hard to replace one of the memembers.”bers.”
Rebekah lives on the farmRebekah lives on the farm with her husband M with her husband Mark Przibilla, ark Przibilla,
who oversees the business’s developmwho oversees the business’s development, and their two boys, ent, and their two boys,
Jozef, five, and Patryk, two. “MJozef, five, and Patryk, two. “Mumum’s m’s mother still lives here, other still lives here,
so now four generations are here,” she says. “I love having mso now four generations are here,” she says. “I love having my y
own children grow up in the samown children grow up in the same environme environment that I did.” ent that I did.”
The MThe McCauls run a smcCauls run a small and sustainable herd of 70 cows. all and sustainable herd of 70 cows.
“W“We like the fact that our cows have new grass to graze e like the fact that our cows have new grass to graze
on and are not stressed. A smon and are not stressed. A small herd is fantastic for cow all herd is fantastic for cow
health and for farmhealth and for farm health. Less is m health. Less is more, and we focus ore, and we focus
on quality. The cheese we mon quality. The cheese we make is the best quality.”ake is the best quality.”
Alexandrina Cheese ComAlexandrina Cheese Company, Sneyd Road, Mpany, Sneyd Road, Mount ount
Jagged, SA. (08) 8554 9666; alexandrinacheese.comJagged, SA. (08) 8554 9666; alexandrinacheese.com.au.aut’s early mt’s early morning morning milking timilking time and, like e and, like
clockwork, a herd of sweet-faced Jersey clockwork, a herd of sweet-faced Jersey
cows mcows makes a leisurely conga line across akes a leisurely conga line across
the clover pastures of the southern Fleurieu the clover pastures of the southern Fleurieu
Peninsula towards the dairy on the hill. The Peninsula towards the dairy on the hill. The
cows bear the namcows bear the names of celebrity cooks, such as Nigella es of celebrity cooks, such as Nigella
and Poh, or gemand Poh, or gemstones, such as Emstones, such as Emerald and Opal, and erald and Opal, and
produce mproduce milk rich in butterfat that is milk rich in butterfat that is made into the ade into the
award-winning handmaward-winning handmade cheese and dairy products ade cheese and dairy products
of the Alexandrina Cheese Comof the Alexandrina Cheese Company.pany.
The Alexandrina Cheese ComThe Alexandrina Cheese Company at Mpany at Mount Jagged, ount Jagged,
72 kilom72 kilometres south of Adelaide, is very metres south of Adelaide, is very much a famuch a family affair, ily affair,
according to Rebekah Maccording to Rebekah McCaul. Rebekah, 37, who is the cCaul. Rebekah, 37, who is the
fourth generation of the cheesemfourth generation of the cheesemaking Making McCauls, grew up cCauls, grew up
on the 111-hectare farmon the 111-hectare farm that she describes as an exam that she describes as an example of ple of
a paddock-to-plate enterprise. Rebekah’s parents, Dan and a paddock-to-plate enterprise. Rebekah’s parents, Dan and
Krystyna MKrystyna McCaul, started mcCaul, started making a hard cheddar cheese aking a hard cheddar cheese
on the farmon the farm in 2001 when dairy deregulation caused m in 2001 when dairy deregulation caused milk ilk
prices to plumprices to plummmet. “Wet. “We were sending a lot of butterfat out e were sending a lot of butterfat out
the gate and not being paid very mthe gate and not being paid very much for it, so much for it, so mumum and and
dad went to Queensland to do a cheesemdad went to Queensland to do a cheesemaking course,” says aking course,” says
Rebekah. “On famRebekah. “On family holidays in Victoria and Tasmily holidays in Victoria and Tasmania we ania we
always went to visit cheesemalways went to visit cheesemakers and they could see that akers and they could see that
mmaking cheese was going to yield making cheese was going to yield more return than more return than milk.”ilk.”
Krystyna’s parents had been dairying on the farmKrystyna’s parents had been dairying on the farm since since
the early 1970s, and Dan’s famthe early 1970s, and Dan’s family had also been mily had also been making aking
cheese since 1902. “Dad’s father, Kevin, mcheese since 1902. “Dad’s father, Kevin, made a hard-style ade a hard-stylePEOPEOPL E PL E MMOUOUNNT JAGT JAGGE DGE D SA SA
102 102 CCOOUUNNTTRYRY S T S TYYL EL E JUNE 2017JUNE 2017