Mount Eliza have been producing raw milk cheeses from their small, boutique dairy factory in Katikati since 2007. Their inspiration comes from the use of traditional recipes and methods that date back centuries. Mount Eliza make single farm origin cheese, with their milk produced on a local farm from a small half-Jersey herd. Owner-operators, Chris and Jill Whalley, battled for years to produce cheese from unpasteurised milk and are proud to say that they have pushed the boundaries and brought raw milk cheesemaking back to New Zealand.

Chris, who used to work as an industrial chemist and takes great care in the production of his cheeses, says it would be easier to start with pasteurised milk than raw milk, but says that it gives them their point of difference and the cheese a much greater depth of flavour.