View source for Warrnambool Cheese and Butter

{{Short description|Australian dairy company}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2017}}
{{Use Australian English|date=November 2017}}
{{Infobox company
| name             = Warrnambool Cheese and Butter
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| foundation       = 1888
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| location_country = [[Australia]]
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| homepage         = {{URL|http://www.wcbf.com.au/}}
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}}
'''Warrnambool Cheese & Butter Factory Company Holdings Limited''' ('''WCB''') is an Australian-based company manufacturing [[dairy products]], majority-owned by [[Saputo Inc.]], a Canadian company, that manufactures a range of [[dairy product]]s under various brands. The business is based in [[Allansford, Victoria|Allansford]], [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]] and is the oldest dairy processor in Australia, having been established in 1888.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/05/27/1085641649187.html |title=New culture for former dairy co-op |work=[[The Age]] |first=Philip |last=Hopkins |date=2004-05-28 |access-date=2013-11-07}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2013/s3847657.htm |title=Bega Cheese launches $319 million takeover bid for Warrnambool Cheese and Butter |publisher=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation|ABC]] |date=2013-05-04 |access-date=2013-11-07 |first=Will |last=Ockenden}}</ref> It owns cheese brands [[Cheer cheese|CHEER]] (formerly COON cheese) and '''Cracker Barrel'''.
==History==
===Early history===
The company was registered on 28 May 1888 and the construction of factory facilities followed.<ref name="WcbfHistory">{{cite web|url=http://www.wcbf.com.au/en/Our-Company/History|title=History|website=WCB|access-date=2018-05-20}}</ref> 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.<ref name="Farrer2005">{{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}}</ref> At the start, the main product was cream, which was taken to Melbourne by rail.<ref name="Farrer2005"/>
Initially, Warrnambool Cheese & Butter sourced their milk from local farmers, and in 1889 all suppliers became shareholders.<ref name="WcbfHistory"/>
[[Butter]] production expanded during the 1890s, and by 1900, Victoria had 304 butter factories.<ref name="Farrer2005"/>
===Kraft Walker takes over (1934)===
In November 1934 [[Kraft Walker Cheese Co.]] leased the factory owned by Warrnambool Cheese & Butter and expanded operations.<ref name=perfin>{{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.}}</ref> Kraft Walker began manufacturing "Red Coon" (later to be renamed COON) cheese, around July 1931.<ref name=redcoon1931>{{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]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article35676156 |title=Advertising |newspaper=[[Adelaide Advertiser|Advertiser and Register]]  |date=31 July 1931 |access-date=2021-01-16 |page=18 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=[Trove search result, "red coon", Jan 1926–31 Sep 1931] | website=[[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}}</ref>
===Takeover of Lion Dairy & Drinks (2015)===
In 2015, WCB paid {{AUD|137.5 million}} for a part of [[Lion Dairy & Drinks]]' business, including the cheese brands Cracker Barrel and COON.<ref name=wcb2015>{{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 Mar 2015 |access-date=2021-01-15}}</ref>
==Current business==
{{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.<ref>{{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}}</ref> 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]].<ref name="ComSitting">{{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=smh.com.au|author=Jared Lynch|date=8 November 2013|access-date=2018-05-20}}</ref>
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.<ref name="PlanetHam2014">{{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}}</ref><ref name="CheeseworldStore">{{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}}</ref>
==See also==
{{portal|Companies|Food}}
* [[List of cheesemakers]]
* [[List of oldest companies in Australia]]
== References ==
{{Reflist}}
== External links ==
* {{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]]