About Yarra Valley Dairy
Yarra Valley Dairy started making cheese in 1994, when the farm had more cow's milk than it could sell. A soft ricotta-style cheese came first and led to Persian Fetta, the marinated soft cheese it is best known for, still made to the original recipe. Cow's milk now comes from neighboring dairy farms and goat's milk from the Mansfield region, and the range includes European-style soft cheeses such as Black Savourine, Salted Honey Cow, Double Brie and fresh goat's cheese.
The cheese shop is in the refurbished original milking shed, about 100 years old, beside the cheese factory, and it opens daily from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. except Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Tastings run every day with no booking: a A$5 brief tasting of four set cheeses, or a A$15 premium tasting of the full range plus a selection of other Australian cheeses.
Café service runs until 4 p.m., with cheese platters and fresh local bread, smoked trout, charcuterie, quince paste and olives; coffee and tea are served until 4:30, and wine by the glass or bottle and ciders and beers from nearby breweries are sold until 4 (no BYO). The few eat-in tables are indoors and first come, first served, groups over eight should call ahead, and a private room seats up to ten. The shop also sells cheeseboards, small-batch wines, relishes and jams from Yarra Valley producers, and picnic boxes come with a map of good picnic spots.
Warratina Lavender Farm in Wandin North is about 11 km southeast, roughly 20 minutes' drive, so pick up a cheese box here and carry it on to the lavender.
What to do
- Taste four cheeses for A$5 or the full range for A$15
- Try Persian Fetta, the dairy's original marinated cheese
- Share a cheese platter with local bread in the old milking shed
- Pick up a picnic box with a map of picnic spots
- Buy Yarra Valley relishes, jams and cheeseboards
Season, hours and prices
- Season
- Open year-round except Christmas Day and Boxing Day
- Hours
- Daily 10:30 a.m.–5 p.m. (2026); café until 4 p.m., coffee until 4:30 p.m.; closed Christmas Day and Boxing Day
- Admission
- Free entry; cheese tastings (2026) A$5 brief, A$15 premium per person
Good to know
- Reservations
- Walk-in (groups over 8 call ahead)
- Payment
- Card preferred
Tips for your visit
- Seating is limited, indoor only and first come, first served; arrive before lunch on weekends.
- Groups of more than eight should call ahead.
- Food service stops at 4 p.m., even though the shop stays open until 5.
Pair it with a lavender farm
Warratina Lavender Farm · about 20 minutes away
Warratina Lavender Farm is about 20 minutes away, so a cheese tasting and a picnic box set up an afternoon among the lavender.
Getting there
Questions
Do I need to book a cheese tasting?
No. Tastings run daily without bookings.
Is there outdoor seating?
No. The few tables are indoors and first come, first served.
How much is a tasting?
A$5 for four set cheeses or A$15 for the premium tasting (2026).
🗺️ Part of the guide Things to Do Near the Lavender Farms of the Yarra Valley & Dandenong Ranges, Victoria
Checked in October 2026 against the business’s own website and local tourism pages. Hours and seasons change, so check with them before you go. How we check listings · Is this your business? Claim it free
