The Second Mouse Cheese Co

Growing up in the iconic Outback town of Mount Isa, Second Mouse Cheese Co.’s owner and Head Cheesemaker, SJ Pienaar, was unaware you could make a career out of cheese!

But all it took was the gift of a weekend make-your-own-cheese-at-home course and SJ become obsessed with the magic of turning milk into cheeses.

Diving down the rabbit hole of cheese blogs and recipe sites, she quickly came to the conclusion that this was her calling.
Putting aside a career in engineering, SJ spent an intensive year studying at the Artisan Cheese Makers Academy of Australia down in Adelaide before finalising her apprenticeship at the Second Mouse Cheese Co. in the vibrant food bowl of Orange.

In 2018, SJ jumped at the chance to purchase the Second Mouse Cheese Co. and has continued growing their reputation for producing quality European-style cheeses.

Situated in a creative hub of chefs, brewers, vintners and organic grocers, SJ and her team are dedicated, some might say fanatical, about producing local artisan cheese.

All Second Mouse cheeses are 100 percent handmade, hand packed and suitable for vegetarians.

They are made using only the best milk sourced straight from a family-owned, independent dairy. Taste the difference for yourself!

Product range includes:

• Frieda: Matriarch of the Second Mouse family, she is an oozy and pungent style of smear ripened soft cheese with a russet coloured rind and a strong personality!
• Double Cream Brie: Luscious double cream with fine bloomy rind that is ripened to full flavour for a decadent taste sensation
• Roobie Blue: Creamy firm cheese punctuated with veins of spicy, salty blue. Moderate piquancy and well balanced – a blue to make friends with!
• Henri: Unique Swiss-style cheese with both sweet and nutty flavours and a semi-hard texture
• Camembert: Soft creamy cheese that matures to have complex, mushroomy notes and a white bloomy rind.
• Haloumi: A mild cheese that is soft and salty. It will hold its shape when cooked, making it ideal for cooking.
• Fetta: A slightly crumbly and creamy texture with a beautiful tangy salty finish. (available seasonally)
• Quark: A soft texture with a slightly lemony zing. Great for savoury and sweet dips and German cheese cake.