Iconic cheese brand to close its doors

An iconic Australian food shaper is closing its doors after, discontinuing the beloved marque aft much than 120 years.

Tasmania’s King Island Dairy volition nary longer run from mid-2025, genitor institution Saputo revealed connected Thursday.

The dairy elephantine launched a strategical reappraisal of the installation 10 months ago, making the determination to discontinue the marque aft it was incapable to find a buyer.

Saputo Dairy Australia president Leanne Cutts said the determination to adjacent the marque “had not been taken lightly”.

She said the marque had spent 10 months conducting an “intensive review” of the commercialized and fiscal alternatives, which included selling it to a 3rd party.

“After thoroughly reviewing each imaginable option, closure of the installation was determined arsenic the astir viable mode to fortify SDA’s competitiveness based connected changing manufacture and marketplace conditions,” Ms Cutts said.

She said the determination to cease operations was owed to a “changing industry”.

“As King Island Dairy’s historical roots are profoundly embedded successful the region, it was hoped the strategical reappraisal would place a imaginable purchaser for the facility,” she said successful the statement.

“It is simply a unsocial brand, with a works that is astir 100 years aged and designed to nutrient handmade specialty cheeses.

“We person invested much than $40 cardinal successful each our Tasmanian operations implicit the past 5 years.”

Ms Cutts said the marque was nostalgic for galore Australians but it has struggled to support a presumption successful the “ultra-competitive” nutrient industry.

Saputo bought King Island Dairy successful 2019 and says the 58 jobs volition beryllium impacted by the closure successful mid-2025.

But “redeployment opportunities” volition beryllium made wherever possible, with Saputo continuing to enactment with dairy farmers successful the community.

Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff said the determination was disappointing, with the authorities providing contiguous enactment to workers, farmers and the section community.