Warrnambool Cheese and Butter

The company was registered on 28 May 1888 and the construction of factory facilities followed.{{cite web|url=http://www.wcbf.com.au/en/Our-Company/History|title=History|website=WCB|access-date=2018-05-20}} In fact, two co-operative companies opened cheese and butter factories in Victoria in 1888; the first to open, on 22 October, was the Cobden and District Cheese and Butter Factory Company Ltd, and then on 14 November the Warrnambool Cheese & Butter Factory Co. Ltd. opened their factory in Allansford.{{cite book|author=Keith Farrer|title=To Feed A Nation: A History of Australian Food Science and Technology|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GX75Ru2AJKAC&pg=PA101|date=24 February 2005|publisher=Csiro Publishing|isbn=978-0-643-09972-2|page=101}} At the start, the main product was cream, which was taken to Melbourne by rail.

Initially, Warrnambool Cheese & Butter sourced their milk from local farmers, and in 1889 all suppliers became shareholders.

Butter production expanded during the 1890s, and by 1900, Victoria had 304 butter factories.

In November 1934 Kraft Walker Cheese Co. leased the factory owned by Warrnambool Cheese & Butter and expanded operations.{{cite web | title=Kraft Foods Ltd| website=Private Revenue Perfins of Victoria| url=https://www.perfins.com.au/OZ-Revenue-Perfins/Victoria-Revenue-ZK-Perfins.html | access-date=2021-01-16|others=Article includes historical information about a stamp used by Kraft Foods Ltd. in 1932 in Australia.}} Kraft Walker began manufacturing "Red Coon" (later to be renamed COON) cheese, around July 1931.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article242962284 |title=Kraft Cheese |newspaper=The Herald (Melbourne) |issue=16,952 |location=Victoria, Australia |date=16 September 1931 |access-date=2021-01-14 |page=27 |via=National Library of Australia}}{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article35676156 |title=Advertising |newspaper=Advertiser and Register |date=31 July 1931 |access-date=2021-01-16 |page=18 |via=National Library of Australia}}{{cite web | title=[Trove search result, "red coon", Jan 1926 – 31 Sep 1931] | via=Trove | url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/search/advanced/category/newspapers?keyword.phrase=red%20coon&date.from=1926-01-01&date.to=1931-09-30&sortBy=dateAsc&startPos=0 | access-date=2021-01-16}}

In 2015, WCB paid {{AUD|137.5 million}} for a part of Lion Dairy & Drinks' business, including the cheese brands Cracker Barrel and COON.{{cite web|url=http://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/agribusiness/dairy/warrnambool-cheese-and-butter-to-buy-lions-everyday-cheese-business/story-fnkeqg0i-1227244288278 |title=Warrnambool Cheese and Butter to buy Lion's 'everyday cheese business'|work=The Herald and Weekly Times |first=Simone |last=Smith |date=2 March 2015 |access-date=2021-01-15}}

{{as of|2015}} the company produces cheese, butter, cream and dairy ingredients, roughly half of which is sold overseas. Local brands include the Sungold milk, Coon cheese, Cracker Barrel, Mil Lel, Great Ocean Road and Warrnambool Cheddar cheeses.{{cite web|url=http://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/agribusiness/dairy/warrnambool-cheese-and-butter-to-buy-lions-everyday-cheese-business/story-fnkeqg0i-1227244288278 |title=Warrnambool Cheese and Butter to buy Lion's 'everyday cheese business'|work=The Herald and Weekly Times |first=Simone |last=Smith |date=2015-03-02 |access-date=2015-08-21}} It is also one of the two Australian producers making nutraceutical products from milk extracts, including bone supplements{{explain|date=January 2021}} and baby formula.{{cite web|url=https://www.smh.com.au/business/sitting-on-farm-fence-in-global-bidding-war-for-warrnambool-cheese-and-butter-20131108-2x760.html|title=Sitting on farm fence in global bidding war for Warrnambool Cheese & Butter|website=The Sydney Morning Herald|author=Jared Lynch|date=8 November 2013|access-date=2018-05-20}}

They also own and run the tourist attraction called Cheese World, close to the factory, which includes a dairy farm museum and an opportunity to sample cheeses, as well as a shop and cafe.{{cite book|author1=Anthony Ham|author2=Trent Holden|author3=Kate Morgan|title=Lonely Planet Melbourne & Victoria|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2TSvAwAAQBAJ&pg=PT416|date=1 June 2014|publisher=Lonely Planet Publications|isbn=978-1-74360-017-7|page=416}}{{cite web|url=http://www.cheeseworld.com.au/en/About-Us/Store|title=Allansford Cheese World – Experience Cheese World|website=cheeseworld.com.au|access-date=2018-05-20}}

{{portal|Companies|Food}}

• List of cheesemakers
• List of oldest companies in Australia

{{Reflist}}

• {{Official website|http://www.wcbf.com.au/}}

Category:Dairy products companies of Australia

Category:Cheesemakers

Category:Australian cheeses

Category:Food and drink companies established in 1888

Category:Warrnambool