It’s a sad day for the dairy industry, with the announcement that one of Australia’s most prolific and respected cheese labels is set to close down in 2025.

King Island Dairy – which is owned by parent company Saputo Dairy Australia – has been a major part of the island’s economy for 120 years but has faced declining sales. Despite exploring other avenues, the company will be forced to cease production after Saputo failed to find a buyer. 

The closure of the King Island Dairy will likely have major consequences for the brand’s 58 staff, who will be out of a job by mid-2025 if Saputo is unable to redeploy them. 

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Tasmanian premier Jeremy Rockliff announced on X that the government would be “providing immediate support to the company’s workers, farmers, and the wider island community,” many of whom are dairy farmers who supply milk to the King Island cheesemakers.

Sapuro Dairy Australia is the parent company of other cheeseboard staples like Cheer, Cracker Barrel, South Cape, and our beloved Mersey Valley.

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