Pyengana Dairy

Jon Healey is a fourth generation dairy farmer. His wife Lyndall and three daughters have all been involved in the family-owned Pyengana Cheese Company since 1992. Today it’s one of Tasmania’s most prestigious cheese producers, supplying hundreds of stores all over Australia.

The dairy runs a robotic self-milking system, with an incentive to keep the cows happy. Visitors can watch the cows line up on their own, wait their turn to be milked, and afterwards get rewarded by nuzzling against a scratching roller – because there’s nothing like a good back scratch.

Pyengana’s most popular product is an English-style clothbound cheddar, aged between four and 12 months depending on its strength. Other cheeses are infused with seasonal flavourings including herb, peppercorn and caraway. Pyengana also produces unhomogenised “real milk”.

Cheese tastings, breakfast and lunch are available at the Holy Cow Cafe next door. The selection of light meals, wine and beer is handy if you’re visiting the St Columba Falls nearby. The ice-cream is a real treat with native flavours including pepperberry, wattle seed and lemon myrtle.