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A $300,000 macadamia cheese-making facility is set to open in Alstonville, Australia – creating 10 local jobs.
Page MP Kevin Hogan called the facility – which will be created by brand Eva Artisans – ‘an exciting project’, which will ‘cater for the vegan market’.
According to Hogan, the Federal Government provided $147,000 to kick-start the project.
Macadamias
The project will see a purpose-built extension – with automated plant and equipment – added to an existing rural factory.
Hogan said: “This will allow the company to produce a macadamia-nut based cheese using fermentation and related plant-based ingredients for domestic and international vegan and lactose-intolerant consumers.
“It will create more jobs and more industry in our region as well, so I am really excited about it.”
Imported
According to Eva Artisans CEO Stuart Picken, who has been working in the food industry for 25 years: “Most of the vegan cheese in Australia is imported from Greece but there are some artisan nut cheese producers becoming more prevalent.
“It certainly is a big thing for the Northern Rivers, to value add to the macadamia nuts that are produced and grown here.”
The vegan cheese is already produced and sold at Byron Bay eatery Curly Kale.
