Historic Wokalup dairy finds success through passion for Normande cattle and artisan cheese

The creation of a unique soft-washed rind cheese, using a traditional recipe styled on the French Pont L’eveque, has been the catalyst for a true paddock to plate success story for the historic Halls Family Dairy at Wokalup. Phillip, his wife Suzanne and son Tavis Hall are fourth and fifth generation dairy farmers, with the original Wokalup Halls Family Dairy established in 1890. The trio milk a mixed breed commercial dairy herd of 200 cows, including 10 purebred French Normande cows, which are managed separately for their value adding cheese business. In total, the Halls’ dairy herd produces an average of 3500L of milk a day, most of this sold through a commercial contract with Brownes Dairy. As part of a risk mitigation strategy and venture into paddock to plate value adding in 2016, the Halls decided to create and market their own brand of cheese produced from their purebred Normande cows. This decision was not made lightly. Much research went into developing the business, with many conversations held at the family table as well as with industry experts to ensure the venture was the right fit for the Halls’ dairy. It was the advice of friend and WA’s food ambassador Don Hancey which helped determine their core point of difference that has since guided them on a path to success. What is different about the Halls’ dairy, in comparison to most commercial WA dairy herds, is Phillip’s interest in breeding different types of dairy cattle. Since 1990, the Halls have been breeding Normande cattle which are renowned for producing a high fat content milk and marbled beef. The breed originated in northern France and is prized throughout Europe for the distinct creamy butter and cheese produced from its milk. “I have always loved the different breeds of dairy cattle,” Phillip said. “My interest has meant we have always run different breeds. We currently run six including Guernsey, Holstein, Old English Dairy Shorthorn, Swedish Red, Pinzgauer and Normande cattle. “We have the oldest herd of purebred Normande cattle in Australia which we have been breeding using imported semen for the last 30 years. “It was my love of Normande cattle and a trip with Suzanne to France in 2013 which resulted in us deciding to import some purebred Normande cattle embryos, which were then implanted into surrogate cows in December 2014.” The breeding program has meant they now have a good genetic base for their Normande cattle milking herd, with 10 cows selected and managed separately from the commercial herd. These cattle are paddocked and fed separately and milked twice a day, with 350L of their milk kept aside for cheese making, and all other excess milk supplied to Brownes with the rest of the commercial dairy herd’s daily milk. The flexibility of this program means the Halls have been able to start off on a scale of value adding to meet the development of their branded cheese. The pros and cons of developing their own commercial kitchen to make cheese was initially researched; however, it was decided the better option was to employ neighbouring business Harvey Cheese. “Harvey Cheese are one of WA’s best artisan cheese makers. By partnering with them we are further adding to our provenance and keeping our focus on local,” Susanne said. This partnership has meant the Halls can focus their energy on managing the dairy without the need to employ additional staff, and are utilising the expertise and facilities of Harvey Cheese. Susanne was instrumental in developing the recipe for Hall’s Suzette, which is made in the style of French Pont L’eveque. The Normande herd single batch of milk is delivered weekly to Harvey Cheese where it currently makes up to 65kg of Hall’s Suzette to meet current demand. Creamy, rich, and high in protein, Hall’s Suzette is crafted over a two-week brining process into an elegant, soft, washed rind cheese with a smooth creamy centre and delicate smoky flavour. As it ages, it develops into a more intense nuttier tone and as with French Pont L’eveque, pairs exceptionally well with crisp cider or Chardonnay. Hall’s Suzette has won an extensive list of chef nominated awards including WA Good Food Guide 2019 Producer of the Year, 2022 WA Dairy Product Competition Gold Award, 2020 Delicious Harvey Norman Produce Awards State Winner, and 2023 Delicious Harvey Norman Dairy Produce Awards Dairy national finalist Now served in over 60 restaurants throughout WA, Hall’s Suzette can also be found at the Bunbury Farmers Markets, the Good Grocer Wembley as well as 30 selected retail outlets. Susanne said when starting out they decided to focus on building relationships with local Perth chefs, which has been a key decision for the long-term sustainability of their business. She said retail was a different marketing avenue for local artisan cheese, and while the scale of their cheese business was growing, it has been the ability to work with individual chefs that has helped the brand develop organically, creating a following of enthusiastic gourmet food lovers. Phillip said while they have had interest from both eastern states and international customers, they were currently focusing on the WA domestic market as transport was an issue. “When we first started out it was a lot of door knocking and getting local chefs to try our product,” Susanne said. “Being able to create those relationships and tell our family story to chefs, helping them make that paddock to plate connection for their customers as well as providing a high quality product, has been our focus,” Phillip said. “Keeping our overheads low and not putting ourselves in a bad place with debt has also helped.” Tavis said he looked forward to further developing Halls Family Dairy and loved sharing the journey with his children, providing them an opportunity for a future in the industry. The business is continuing to develop and part of this is pairing the success of Hall’s Suzette with selling their aged dairy beef. Normande cattle are a dual-purpose breed and while their high fat milk is a key aspect of their suitability as a dairy breed, they are also well-known in France and throughout Europe for producing meat that has unsurpassed marbling quality, flavour and tenderness. A select number of Perth restaurants are now buying the Halls’ aged dairy beef, including steers and retired dairy cows. All cattle have been well-cared for by the family on farm from birth, grass fed without the use of antibiotics or growth hormones. Cattle are all kept in a low stress environment, using ethical methods of production including being transported with care for custom killing at Dardanup Butchering Company. The Halls are also embarking into agri-tourism. The venture is in partnership with Harvey Cheese and will provide tourist groups with a farm tour looking at how the dairy is run, including watching the Normande milking herd being milked. Guests will then follow the paddock to plate process back to Harvey Cheese, where they will view cheese making and gin distillation from whey produced during cheese making. Through Harvey Cheese, Wokalup distillery St Duke’s is using whey produced from cheese making to create small batch artisanal spirits. Phillip, Suzanne and Tavis are dedicated to ensuring their family farm survives and thrives in an area of WA that is becoming increasingly encroached upon by urban sprawl. Phillip said for any producers considering value adding, understanding your “why” and staying true to your goals was number one. “Providing a quality product and service is a key part of our success,” he said. “Also being open enough to change as your business needs it.” Susanne advised anyone considering value adding to have a go but do their research first, and understand their point of difference. “Believe in what you’re doing and start out small,” she said.