Tasmania’s dairy industry is primarily comprised of dairy cows, with a small contingent of goats and sheep.

The high rainfall areas of the north-east, Meander and north-west with lush grass and clover pastures are home to the majority of the dairy cow herds.

Less than 10% of our milk production is actually consumed as a beverage. The balance is manufactured into cheese, milk-related products and butter. And chocolate, lots of chocolate …

Igor Van Gerwen of Anvers Confectionary established a confectionary cottage industry in 1989, when he came to Australia from Belgium.

He is delighted with the richness and flavour of the dairy products, which he finds to be ideally suited to his products.

All things chocolatey

Outgrowing his initial premises, The House of Anvers has found a new home at Wyndarra Lodge, an elegant 1931 built Californian bungalow near Latrobe in the north-west.

This enterprise encompasses all things chocolatey — drinks, desserts, dining and demonstrations and of course an enticing array of chocolates.

A number of dairy farmers value-add their own milk. Two of these are Elgaar Farm and Pyengana Cheese Factory. Elgaar Farm is a certified organic farming property near Deloraine in the north of the state.

Apart from a range of artisan cheeses, the Gretschmanns produce cream, yoghurt, quark, cottage cheese and mascarpone. These products, together with butter, are produced from fresh jersey cow milk. The milk is unhomogenised, so the cream sits proud in the neck of the bottle.

Gourmet cream

From the rich milk some of Australia’s finest cream and butter is produced. Meander Valley and King Island Dairy have become two of the states most well known gourmet cream producers.

Tasmania produces $8M worth of butter per annum which is exported throughout Australia and Asia.