Warrnambool Cheese and Butter

What Warrnambool Cheese and Butter does

Saputo Dairy Australia (formerly trading as Warrnambool Cheese and Butter, acquired by Saputo Inc. in 2014) operates as a leading Australian dairy processor with end-to-end capability from raw milk collection through finished consumer, foodservice, and ingredient/nutritional products. The company runs four manufacturing sites (Allansford, Kiewa, Laverton, Leongatha) and a national milk supply network spanning Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania, supported by regional field representatives. Its consumer portfolio spans 14+ brands (CHEER, Devondale, Liddells, Mersey Valley, Tasmanian Heritage, Mil Lel, South Cape, Sungold, Great Ocean Road, Cracker Barrel licensed, plus Sheese dairy alternative and Caboolture), with retail distribution including a 880-store Woolworths rollout for Liddells Lactose Free Burger Cheese Slices.

The business operates four distinct go-to-market motions: retail consumer dairy through Australian supermarkets (direct-to-consumer via retail channels), foodservice supply through major distributors to restaurants, cafes, airlines, government, and educational institutions, B2B ingredients and nutritionals (whey protein concentrates, milk powders, lactose, milk protein concentrates, lactoferrin, nutritional powders, milk minerals, and Vivinal GOS via the Great Ocean Ingredients JV) sold globally, and AG Warehouse farm supplies to farmer suppliers. Notable proprietary processing technologies include Individually Quick Frozen (IQF) shredded mozzarella with a 365-day frozen shelf life, a Capstone Microturbine biogas-to-energy system at Allansford generating up to 25% of peak-site electricity and removing ~14,000 tonnes of CO2 annually, and patented whey/GOS processing through the Royal FrieslandCampina JV.

Monetization is driven by unit sales of branded consumer goods (margin-accretive retail), B2B ingredient and nutritional sales at scale to global food manufacturers, and long-term dairy ingredient supply contracts, with published weighted average milk supply pricing paid to farmers of A$8.80-A$9.25 per kg of milk solids depending on region and season. The company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Saputo Inc. (TSX: SAP), a top-10 global dairy processor, and in 2026 announced the divestiture of its DSDA joint venture interest to Danone, a restructuring intended to refocus capital toward retained categories.

Name

Warrnambool Cheese and Butter

Legal name

Saputo Dairy Australia Pty Ltd

Website

https://wcbf.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Saputo Dairy Australia (formerly Warrnambool Cheese and Butter) is a leading Australian dairy processor producing branded consumer cheese and milk products, foodservice dairy, and B2B ingredients and nutritionals across four manufacturing sites for domestic and export markets, including China and India.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Dairy Products Manufacturing

NAICS

Dairy Product Manufacturing (3115), Dairy Product (except Frozen) Manufacturing (31151), Cheese Manufacturing (311513), Creamery Butter Manufacturing (311512), Fluid Milk Manufacturing (311511), Dry, Condensed, and Evaporated Dairy Product Manufacturing (311514)

SIC

Dairy Products (2020), Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Butter & Ghee Manufacturing (AFAKAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Dairy Ingredients (Whey, Lactose, Milk Powders) Wholesale (AFAIAEAG), Dairy-Based Beverage Production (Milk Drinks, Yogurt Drinks, Lassi) (AFAFABAJ), Butter & Cultured Dairy (Yogurt, Sour Cream, Kefir) Wholesale (AFAIAEAB), Lactose & Dairy Sweeteners Manufacturing (AFAKAKAK)

Keywords

• Dairy processing
• Cheese manufacturing
• Dairy ingredients
• Foodservice dairy
• Nutritional powders

Headquarters

HQ city

Southbank, Melbourne

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Consumer Dairy Products: Sale of cheese, milk, butter, spreads, and cream to retail consumers through supermarkets and grocery stores across Australia.
2. Foodservice Products: Supply of dairy products to foodservice organisations including restaurants, cafes, institutions, airlines, and hospitality businesses through distributor relationships.
3. Ingredients and Nutritionals: Sale of dairy ingredients (whey protein, milk powders, lactose, milk protein concentrates) and nutritional products (lactoferrin, nutritional powders) to global B2B customers.
4. International Export: Export of dairy products to international markets. Products sold in several countries under well-known brand names.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Saputo Dairy Australia (formerly Warrnambool Cheese and Butter) manufactures, markets, and distributes a diversified portfolio of dairy products across consumer brands (CHEER, Devondale, Liddells, Mersey Valley, South Cape, Tasmanian Heritage, Sungold, Mil Lel, Great Ocean Road), foodservice dairy products for commercial operators, and dairy ingredients and nutritional powders for global B2B customers. Its core activities include milk collection from Australian farmer suppliers, cheese and butter manufacturing, milk processing, whey protein extraction, lactose production, and ingredient manufacturing at facilities in Allansford, Kiewa, Laverton, and Leongatha.

Product overview

Saputo Dairy Australia (which acquired Warrnambool Cheese and Butter in 2014) operates as a leading dairy processor in Australia, offering a diversified portfolio of consumer brands, ingredients, and foodservice products. The company produces, markets and distributes a wide range of dairy and non-dairy products including cheese, dairy alternative cheese, fluid milk, extended shelf-life milk and cream products, cultured products and dairy ingredients. The consumer brands portfolio includes CHEER, Cracker Barrel, Devondale, Great Ocean Road, Liddells, Mersey Valley, Mil Lel, South Cape, Sungold, Tasmanian Heritage, Caboolture, MG Ingredients, and Sheese. The ingredients division supplies whey protein concentrates, cheese and butter products, milk powders, lactose, anhydrous milk fats, specialty milk fats, milk protein concentrates, lactoferrin, nutritional powders, and milk minerals. The company also operates joint ventures including Danone Saputo Dairy Australia for yoghurt products and Great Ocean Ingredients with Royal FrieslandCampina for nutritional ingredients like Vivinal GOS.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CHEER A selection of cheddar cheeses marketed under the CHEER brand for Australian household consumers via supermarkets and grocery stores.
• Cracker Barrel (licensed trademark of Lactalis Heritage Dairy) Cheddar cheese brand marketed in Australia under licence from Lactalis Heritage Dairy.
• Devondale Full dairy range including milk, butters and spreads, cheese, milk powders, and cream marketed to Australian consumers.
• Great Ocean Road A variety of cheddar cheeses, fluid milk, and flavoured milk sold to Australian consumers.
• Liddells A variety of lactose-free dairy products including cheese slices, milk, and spreads targeting lactose-intolerant consumers; category growing more than 12% year-on-year.
• Liddells Lactose Free Aussie Jack Burger Cheese Slices First lactose-free burger cheese slice in Australia, launched for retail distribution in Woolworths stores.
• Mersey Valley Cheese brand offering specialty cheddar products for Australian consumers.
• Mil Lel A variety of Parmesan cheeses and baking blends marketed to Australian consumers.
• South Cape A variety of specialty cheeses sold to Australian consumers.
• Sungold A variety of fluid milk products sold to Australian consumers.
• Tasmanian Heritage A variety of soft specialty cheeses sold to Australian consumers under the Tasmanian Heritage brand.
• Caboolture Australian dairy brand offering cheese and dairy products for retail consumers.
• Sheese Dairy alternative cheese products sold to Australian consumers.
• Fred Walker IQF Shredded Mozzarella Australian-made Individually Quick Frozen (IQF) shredded mozzarella launched under the Fred Walker brand, with a 365-day frozen shelf life, targeting pizza and foodservice applications.
• Foodservice Dairy Products Quality dairy products supplied to foodservice distributors, government and educational institutions, restaurants, cafes, airlines, and the hospitality industry.
• Whey Protein Concentrates High-quality whey protein ingredients supplied to global dairy market customers.
• Milk Powders Milk powder ingredients including nutritional powders sold to global B2B customers.
• Lactose Dairy lactose ingredients sold to global B2B customers.
• Anhydrous Milk Fats (AMF) Specialty milk fat ingredients for food applications sold globally.
• Milk Protein Concentrates Concentrated milk protein ingredients sold globally to food manufacturers.
• MG Ingredients Milk protein and dairy ingredient products sold under the MG Ingredients brand.
• Lactoferrin Nutritional ingredient derived from dairy, sold globally to nutritional product manufacturers.
• Nutritional Powders Nutritional powders for all stages of life including maternal, infant, follow-on, growing-up, and adult powders sold globally.
• Milk Minerals Dairy-derived mineral ingredients for nutritional applications sold globally.
• Sunpro Instantised WPC80 Instantised whey protein concentrate (WPC80) with lecithin coating for rapid dispersion in liquid, targeted at the sports nutrition market in China and India.
• Vivinal GOS Galactooligosaccharides (Vivinal GOS) produced through the Great Ocean Ingredients joint venture using patented technology at the Allansford site.
• Great Ocean Ingredients (Joint Venture) 50:50 joint venture between Saputo Dairy Australia and Royal FrieslandCampina using patented technology at the Allansford site to process raw milk and whey into nutritional and functional ingredients such as Vivinal GOS.

Quantifiable outcome

• 14,000 tonnes of CO2 removed annually from biogas to energy project - equivalent to taking 3,000 cars off the road
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Danone Asia Pte LtdcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDanone Saputo Dairy Australia (DSDA) is a joint venture between Saputo Dairy Australia and French food company Danone to market yoghurt and fresh dairy products in Australia. DSDA dairy foods are produced at Kiewa in north east Victoria. In February 2026, Danone became the majority shareholder. In June 2026, SDA announced it would divest its remaining interest subject to regulatory approval.
• Royal FrieslandCampinacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGreat Ocean Ingredients is a 50:50 joint venture between Saputo Dairy Australia and Royal FrieslandCampina. Using innovative and patented technology at Saputo's Allansford site, the venture processes raw milk and whey ingredients into nutritional and functional ingredients such as Vivinal GOS.
• Foodbank AustraliaminorOthersSaputo Dairy Australia is a national donor to Foodbank Australia. Donations include cheese blocks and slices distributed to Australians in need, plus additional dairy products for bushfire and flood emergency relief. In 2025, SDA donated 263,588kg of food equivalent to 474,933 meals. Supports over 2,840 front line charities and 3,379 schools.
• Eat UpminorOthersEat Up is a charity that provides sandwiches to disadvantaged school children. Saputo Dairy Australia partners with Eat Up through its Big Cook Up initiative, with employees volunteering to make sandwiches. Since March 2024, Big Cook Ups have delivered more than 20,000 meals to children in need.
• Sustainability VictoriaminorOthersSustainability Victoria provided a $1 million grant through the Waste to Energy - Bioenergy Fund under the Victorian Government's Recycling Victoria circular economy policy to support SDA's biogas to energy project.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Royal FrieslandCampina: Dutch dairy cooperative and 50:50 JV partner in Great Ocean Ingredients. Competes with SDA in global dairy ingredients, nutritional powders, and cheese categories and shares operational footprint in whey/GOS processing.
• Arla Foods: European dairy cooperative with global ingredients, cheese and milk powder businesses. Comparable through whey/lactose ingredient exports, mozzarella and cheese portfolio, and sustainability-driven positioning.
• Fonterra Co-operative Group: World's largest dairy exporter, headquartered in New Zealand, with global ingredients and consumer brands. Comparable through B2B dairy ingredients (whey, milk powders, lactose) and as a competitor in Australia-NZ dairy trade.
• Danone: French multinational dairy and nutrition company; acquiring majority/remaining interest in the DSDA yoghurt JV with SDA. Comparable through yoghurt, fresh dairy, and nutritional products globally.
• Lactalis: Global dairy leader and owner of the Cracker Barrel trademark (licensed to SDA). Overlaps with SDA in cheese, butter, and ingredients, and is a peer for the parent Saputo Inc. in global dairy processing.

Regional players

• Burra Foods: Australian dairy ingredient manufacturer producing milk powders, whey protein and infant formula ingredients from Gippsland, Victoria. Closely comparable to SDA's Ingredients and Nutritionals business in scale and Australian-origin positioning.

Direct peers

• Bega Cheese: Major Australian dairy processor with cheese, spreads, and nutritionals (including the Bega brand). Competes head-to-head with SDA's CHEER, Devondale and Mersey Valley brands across Australian retail and foodservice channels.
• Lion Dairy & Drinks: Leading Australian dairy and beverage processor (Dairy Farmers, Pura, Berri juice). Directly competes with SDA in fluid milk, cheese, cream and flavoured dairy in Australian retail and foodservice.
• Parmalat Australia: Australian subsidiary of Lactalis operating in fluid milk, cheese, and cultured dairy. Competes directly with SDA in everyday cheese, milk, and value dairy segments at major Australian supermarkets.
• Glanbia: Global nutrition and dairy ingredients group with leading positions in whey protein, cheese, and nutritional powders. Direct comparable to SDA's Ingredients and Nutritionals division including WPC80 and nutritional powders.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=qZEzoZheS64
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• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/warrnambool-cheese-and-butter
• Instagraminstagram.com/saputo_inc/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Warrnambool Cheese and Butter