Dairy products from ghee to flavoured milk and everything in between were given top prizes in recent industry awards.
The Dairy Industry Association of Australia awards saw leading companies as well as smaller, independent businesses come together to celebrate the best in Australian dairy.
Kyvalley Dairy, based in Kyabram in northern Victoria, won Australia’s Best Flavoured Milk with its Coach House Dairy Co Chocolate Milk.
“It was a beautiful night,” Kyvalley Dairy general manager Joanna Savva said.
“We weren’t expecting it, to be honest ... but then when our name got called out twice, that was a really big surprise. It was quite exciting to get up there.”
The best coffee flavoured milk was won by Bega Cheese again with its Dare Double Espresso Milk.
But that wasn’t all for Bega Cheese, as it took out the 2025 best cheddar cheese award for its Lagoon Street Mature and Lagoon Street Heritage Vintage Cheese.
Five:AM Dairy also had a successful award season, with its Vanilla Bean Yoghurt, winning both Australia’s Best Naturally Flavoured Yoghurt and Australia’s Best Organic Dairy Product.
Gippsland’s Berrys Creek Gourmet Cheese, a specialist blue cheese manufacturer, won five awards on the night.
The awards were the highest scoring cheese, blue cheese, non-cheddar cheese, non-bovine cheese and most outstanding small-scale manufacturer show exhibit.
Shepparton-based dairy company Kisaan won an award for their newly launched natural pot-set yoghurt.
“We couldn’t imagine that in our first year, our product could do so very, very well. We were amazed that we won an award,” Kisaan co-director Jaspreet Singh said.
The best ice-cream was taken out by Bulla Dairy for its Reece’s Nutrageous.
“No other country can beat our quality or the taste of our ice-cream,” Bulla Dairy chief executive officer Allan Hood said.
“Reece’s Nutrageous is a rich creamy indulgence that captures the depth and texture of chocolate coated roasted nuts balanced with a smooth taste.
“What elevates this ice-cream from good to exceptional is how well it blends the nuttiness with the creaminess of the ice-cream.”
Apollo Bay’s Dooley’s Ice Cream also received an award for its Premium Raspberry Ice-cream
Bannister Downs Dairy won the coveted Australia’s Best White Carton Milk.
“Winning this coveted prize is a massive achievement for Bannister Downs Dairy, who won against Australia’s leading brands,” DIAA former president and current marketing manager Darryl Cardona said.
“Arguably, this was because of its superb taste, and unique processing, which is packaged on farm, and available exclusively in Western Australia.”