The Little Big Dairy
The Little Big Dairy Co is a family-owned, vertically integrated Australian dairy company producing single-source milk, cream, butter and cottage cheese on its Dubbo NSW farm and distributing directly to 500+ cafés and major retailers across NSW, ACT and Queensland.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersDubbo, Australia
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What The Little Big Dairy does
The Little Big Dairy Co is a family-owned, vertically integrated Australian dairy company headquartered on a farm 20km west of Dubbo, NSW, operating since 2012. The company controls the full production stack on a single site: it milks a registered Holstein herd of roughly 800 milking cows (over 1,000 purebred animals in total) using a 28-aside Bou Matic rapid-exit parlour with Real Time electronic milk metering and herd health monitoring, then pasteurises and bottles the milk in an on-farm A-rated food safety and export-accredited factory, with the first time single-source milk leaves the farm being in the finished bottle. The portfolio spans fluid milk (full cream, less cream, no cream, non-homogenised, lactose free), flavoured milks (Fairtrade-certified coffee and chocolate), creams (42% butterfat pouring cream, double cream), salted butter, raw bulk milk for manufacturers, and a 2023-launched high-protein cottage cheese positioned as the highest-protein cottage cheese in Australia at 13.6g of protein per 100g.
The company sells through three primary go-to-market motions: a sales-led direct café delivery operation serving 500+ cafés and restaurants across NSW and ACT from five regional depots (Dubbo, Coffs Harbour, Newcastle, Sydney, Canberra) with no minimum orders and free full-day supply trials; channel partnerships with major and independent retailers (Woolworths, IGA supermarkets, Harris Farm Markets and independents) backed by a A$300 startup package for new partners; and direct-to-consumer home delivery in selected areas plus purchases at local stockists. Pricing is transaction-based across all channels; the company recommends 30-40% retail markup and reinvests profits into the family farm. Customers include foodservice SMBs (Estabar, Josie Coffee, Munchas, Spilt Milk Gelato Bar), independent and chain retailers (Bernardis, Agrestic Grocer, The Grove Cafe), institutional buyers (NSW Waratahs rugby, NSW School Breakfast Clubs) and food manufacturers purchasing bulk raw milk.
The Chesworth family — Steve and Erika Chesworth, with children Duncan, Emma, Danielle, Campbell and their spouses — runs the operation across defined roles covering farming, stud records, factory operations, logistics and business management. The company has accumulated multiple industry recognitions including Australian Grand Dairy Awards (Champion Cream 2020, Grand Champion 2017), DIAA trophies (2014), Sydney Royal Champion Holstein (2020) and State Winner at the delicious produce awards (2018). Revenue, headcount (11-50) and ownership remain private with no external funding rounds disclosed.
The Little Big Dairy firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Little Big Dairy
- Legal name
- The Little Big Dairy Co
- Website
- https://littlebigdairy.co
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Little Big Dairy Co is a family-owned, vertically integrated Australian dairy company producing single-source milk, cream, butter and cottage cheese on its Dubbo NSW farm and distributing directly to 500+ cafés and major retailers across NSW, ACT and Queensland.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Little Big Dairy industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Dairy Products
- NAICS
- Dairy Product Manufacturing (3115), Dairy Cattle and Milk Production (112120), Fluid Milk Manufacturing (311511), Cheese Manufacturing (311513), Creamery Butter Manufacturing (311512)
- SIC
- Dairy Products (2020), Agricultural Prod-Livestock & Animal Specialties (200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Milk Production (Raw Milk) (AFAEACAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Dairy Spreads, Dips & Cream Cheese Manufacturing (AFAKAKAL), Butter & Cultured Dairy (Yogurt, Sour Cream, Kefir) Wholesale (AFAIAEAB), Lactose-Free & A2 Dairy Beverages (AFAFAEAE)
Keywords
Where The Little Big Dairy is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Dubbo
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices6 records
Markets served
The Little Big Dairy business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Wholesale Milk Sales to Cafés: Supplying premium Single Source milk to 500+ cafés and restaurants across NSW and ACT. Products include full cream, less cream, no cream, and specialty milks. Direct delivery from local depots with no minimum order requirements.
- Retail Distribution: Distribution through IGA supermarkets, Woolworths stores, Harris Farm Markets, and independent retailers. Products include full range of milks, creams, butter, and cottage cheese.
- Consumer Direct Sales: Home delivery service to selected areas and purchases at local retailers by individual consumers.
- Bulk Milk Supply: Raw milk supplied in bulk palletcons for cheese makers and food manufacturing establishments.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Café trial offer - free full-day supply |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Retail partner startup package |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Retailer markup recommendation |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
The Little Big Dairy product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Little Big Dairy Co is a family-owned Australian dairy operation that produces, processes, and bottles Single Source milk, cream, butter, and cottage cheese on its farm near Dubbo, NSW, with traceback to individual cows. Products are sold wholesale to 500+ cafés and restaurants, distributed through Woolworths, IGA, Harris Farm, and independent retailers, and supplied in bulk to food manufacturers. The portfolio spans full cream, less cream, no cream, non-homogenised, lactose-free, and Fairtrade flavoured milks, plus pouring and double creams, salted butter, and high-protein cottage cheese.
Product overview
The Little Big Dairy Co is a family-owned Australian dairy company offering a unified portfolio of Single Source dairy products. Their core offering is fresh milk in multiple varieties (full cream, less cream, no cream, non-homogenised, lactose free) supplemented by flavoured milks (coffee, chocolate), cream products (pouring cream, double cream), butter, and cottage cheese. All products are traceable to individual cows from their family farm in Dubbo, NSW, with processing and bottling done on-site. The company operates as a vertically integrated dairy operation spanning farming, processing, and distribution.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Full Cream Milk Creamy and rich whole milk with a smooth fresh taste, available in multiple sizes from 300mL to 10L for cafés, retailers, and home consumers.
- Less Cream Milk Reduced-fat milk retaining the flavour and goodness of full cream milk with less fat content, for everyday café and household use.
- No Cream Milk Smooth skim milk with 0% fat and no added milk powder, ideal for coffee and everyday use.
- Non-Homogenised Milk Traditional milk with a natural rich cream layer on top, preserving the old-fashioned milk experience for retail customers.
- Lactose Free Milk Full-flavoured milk suitable for lactose-intolerant consumers, making dairy accessible to sensitive stomachs.
- Coffee Milk Iced coffee milk made with real Fairtrade Republica coffee and simple ingredients for a smooth and creamy iced coffee experience.
- Chocolate Milk Rich chocolate milk made with real Fairtrade cocoa for an indulgent chocolate hit.
- Pure Pouring Cream Thick and rich cream with 42% butterfat, designed for cooking, whipping, and pouring over desserts.
- Pure Double Cream Award-winning double cream that is thick and indulgent, perfect for desserts and baking applications.
- Salted Butter Freshly churned butter with a creamy texture and perfectly balanced salt content, made from Single Source cream.
- High Protein Cottage Cheese Australia's highest protein cottage cheese with 13.6g protein per 100g, made with only five natural ingredients and no additives, offered in 500g packaging through select Woolworths stores, independent retailers, Farmer's Pick produce packs, and Harris Farm Markets.
- Raw Bulk Milk Fresh Single Source raw milk supplied in bulk palletcons for cheese makers and food manufacturing establishments requiring consistent quality and traceability.
Quantifiable outcome
- 97% of cafés say the Little Big Dairy brand adds value to their business
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use The Little Big Dairy
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
The Little Big Dairy technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
The Little Big Dairy partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Fairtrade Australia NZcoreFirst and sole Fairtrade registered milk company in Australia. Fairtrade certification ensures farmers producing ingredients (cocoa, coffee, vanilla, sugar) are paid fair prices through secure channels. 2% of all Fairtrade flavoured milk sales go directly to communities where products are grown.
- Republica CoffeecorePartnership with Republica Coffee for sourcing fair trade coffee ingredients used in Coffee Milk flavoured product.
- OzHarvestminorShort date products donated to local charities and OzHarvest to reduce food waste.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights6 records
The Little Big Dairy competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Schulz Organic Dairy: Family-owned certified-organic dairy in Timboon, Victoria producing milk, cream, yoghurt and cheese for retail and foodservice customers. Comparable as a regional, family-run Australian dairy built on ethical, single-farm positioning.
- Barambah Organics: Australian certified-organic dairy brand producing milk, cream, butter, yoghurt and cheese distributed through major supermarkets and independent retailers. Comparable as a premium, ethics-led, family/regional Australian dairy selling through the same Woolworths/IGA-style channels.
- a2 Milk Company: Australia- and NZ-listed premium fluid milk company selling A2-protein milk into retail and foodservice channels. Highly comparable as a premium, provenance-led dairy brand targeting similar café and health-conscious consumer segments, though at materially larger scale and international reach.
- Bannister Downs: Family-owned Western Australian premium dairy operating its own on-farm processing facility and selling branded fresh milk and cream to cafés, retailers and consumers. Closely mirrors Little Big Dairy's vertically integrated, family-run premium-dairy model.
- Jersey Girl Organics: Family-run organic dairy in Gippsland, Victoria selling certified-organic milk and cream into retail and direct channels. Comparable as a small-scale, family-operated premium Australian dairy with strong provenance credentials.
- Maleny Dairies: Family-owned Sunshine Coast hinterland dairy producing single-source, non-homogenised milk, cream, yoghurt and cheese distributed into Queensland foodservice and retail. Highly analogous vertically integrated, single-source premium-dairy business model.
Broad incumbents
- Fonterra Australia: Australian operations of Fonterra, the New Zealand-headquartered global dairy co-operative, supplying fluid milk, cheese, butter and ingredients across retail and foodservice. Comparable as a major incumbent producing and distributing dairy products through the same national supermarket channels.
- Lactalis Australia: Australian subsidiary of global dairy group Lactalis (formerly Parmalat brands including Pauls, Vaalia, Ice Break), producing fluid milk, yoghurt, cream and cheese. Comparable as a large incumbent operating across overlapping fluid milk and cream categories with national retail distribution.
- Saputo Australia: Australian arm of global dairy giant Saputo (acquired Murray Goulburn), producing fluid milk, cheese, butter and ingredients for major retailers and foodservice. Comparable as a major incumbent across the same fluid milk category with much greater scale and negotiating power.
- Bega Cheese: Major ASX-listed Australian dairy and grocery company (Bega, Dairy Farmers, Big M, etc.) with national manufacturing and distribution scale. Comparable as a broad incumbent competing for the same supermarket and foodservice dairy shelf but at vastly larger scale.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Little Big Dairy social profiles
Digital presenceThe Little Big Dairy compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
The Little Big Dairy financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Little Big Dairy leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
The Little Big Dairy funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Little Big Dairy M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Little Big Dairy
What does The Little Big Dairy do?
The Little Big Dairy Co is a family-owned Australian dairy operation that produces, processes, and bottles Single Source milk, cream, butter, and cottage cheese on its farm near Dubbo, NSW, with traceback to individual cows. Products are sold wholesale to 500+ cafés and restaurants, distributed through Woolworths, IGA, Harris Farm, and independent retailers, and supplied in bulk to food manufacturers. The portfolio spans full cream, less cream, no cream, non-homogenised, lactose-free, and Fairtrade flavoured milks, plus pouring and double creams, salted butter, and high-protein cottage cheese.
Is The Little Big Dairy a public or private company?
The Little Big Dairy is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was The Little Big Dairy founded?
The Little Big Dairy was founded in 2012. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is The Little Big Dairy based?
The Little Big Dairy is headquartered in Dubbo, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does The Little Big Dairy make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Wholesale Milk Sales to Cafés are the primary driver. The others are retail Distribution, consumer Direct Sales and bulk Milk Supply.
Who are The Little Big Dairy's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Schulz Organic Dairy, Barambah Organics, a2 Milk Company, Bannister Downs, Jersey Girl Organics and Maleny Dairies. Broad incumbents are Fonterra Australia, Lactalis Australia, Saputo Australia and Bega Cheese.
Does The Little Big Dairy have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Little Big Dairy.
What industry is The Little Big Dairy in?
The Little Big Dairy's product category is Dairy Products. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAEACAA, Milk Production (Raw Milk), with a secondary code of AFAKAKAL, Dairy Spreads, Dips & Cream Cheese Manufacturing. Its NAICS code is 3115 and its SIC code is 2020.