Cheese, oh glorious cheese. All your cheese fantasies will be realised once you step into the Whitestone Cheese deli / café located close to the roaring South Pacific ocean. Producing award winning artisan cheeses made with 100% natural ingredients, your choices include soft whites, semi-soft, blue, feta and sheep’s milk cheeses. The subtle flavours of the hand crafted cheese will have you stocking up your chilly bin or fridge in no time. Try the tasting platter at the bargain price of $5.
The cheese is made in the factory out back and there is a viewing platform to watch the cheese mature (a bit like watching paint dry, but interesting just the same). Bob Berry, founder of White Stone Cheese, got into cheese making during the rural downturn in the late 1980s, spotting a gap in the market for specialist cheese (to match the wine industry which was beginning to take off).
Every cheese holds a medal in addition to no fewer than19 Trophies. Unbelievable but true. The Windsor Blue leads the pack with its accolades including NZ Supreme Champion in 2006. The reason why these cheeses are so highly regarded is down to the fertile North Otago land. The natural environment with a perfect combination of climate, soil, water and happy cows freely roaming sweeping hills means outstanding milk, which is then turned into outstanding cheese.
The name Whitestone comes from the natural ancient limestone of the region. The limestone was used to build the dozens of Victorian buildings you will see around Oamaru. The company made headlines back in the early 2000’s when it was announced Hugh Hefner ate Whitestone’s cheese at the Playboy Mansion. Even the cast of Scrubs used to eat the cheese on set. Whitestone Cheese has Neat Places and Hollywood’s seal of approval.