The picturesque setting of Barrys Bay on Canterbury’s Banks Peninsula is home to Barrys Bay Cheese. Originally established as the Barrys Bay Co-op Dairy Factory in 1895, Barrys Bay Cheese continues the tradition of natural, handcrafted cheese making today.

The clean, fertile pastures of the Peninsula produce some of the finest milk from which our cheese is made. Only fresh local milk, which we pasteurise ourselves is used to make our handcrafted cheese. Great care is taken to adhere to traditional cheese making methods. We are the only cheese company in New Zealand to produce vintage cheddar aged in cloth and wax.

Our cheese is left to mature in our large cool stores on white pine shelves. In the case of the European cheese, they are coated, waxed and turned regularly until the desired state of maturity is reached. Only cheese which has reached the required level of maturity are permitted to leave the factory. This can take up to three years for our mature rinded cheddar.

Our range includes European cheese, territorial type cheddar in the Settlers range, Flavoured Cheddar and the traditional Mature Rinded Cheddar.

Barrys Bay Traditional Cheese have won many awards over the years, most notable of which were Gold medals awarded at the 2009 Cuisine New Zealand Cheese Awards, for our Maasdam and Peppered Havarti. A clutch of silver and bronze medals were also awarded in 2008 and 2009 to several of our other varieties.

Our Mature Rinded Cheddar was awarded the best imported cheddar at the Nantwich International Cheese Show in Britain in 1986

We hope you enjoy the good taste of cheese “made in the old way” as much as we enjoy creating it. Try our new Taste 3 Range!

The Food Show Christchurch