Kris Lloyd's self-taught plunge pioneers new cheesemaking styles in South Australia that attract world acclaim
Self taught South Australian cheemaker Kris Lloyd was inducted, in 2012, into the prestigious International Cheesemakers Guilde des Fromagers, in France. Lloyd became a member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 2020 for her contribution to the Australian cheese and tourism industries
South Australian cheesemaker Kris Lloyd secured another top prize at the world championship cheese contest in the United States of America in 2024, adding to the many accolades for her pioneering of Australian cheese styles.
At the 2024 global competition with more than 3,00 entries in Wisconsin, Lloyd dominated the open class milk cheese category, with her Flower Power, a washed rind buffalo cheese from 100% buffalo milk, taking out first place. She also scooped second and third with her Buffalo Persian Feta Lemon Myrtle and Persian Buffalo Feta. Lloyd led the way with buffalo cheese making in South Australia, sourced from the milk of the state’s only buffalo dairy in Mypolonga with a small herd of the Riverine breed.
From a corporate marketing and development background, Lloyd taught herself cheese making initially out an idea to add to the ploughman’s lunches provided at her husband’s family Coriole winery at McLaren Vale. As a side business to the winery in 1994, Lloyd bought Woodside Cheese Wrights, a derelict Adelaide Hills business under second owners. Lloyd was originally its manager until a lack of staff forced her to take on cheese making, making almost 200 litres of brie, by herself: “I didn’t bargain for absolutely falling in love with the process. There it was as milk and, three hours and a lot of stress later, it was cheese. It started maturing and I ate it and thought: ‘I made that!’”
With Lloyd as director and head cheesemaker, Woodside Cheese Wrights, specialising in goat, cow and buffalo cheeses, won many industry awards, including gold medals at the world competition and the grand dairy award in 2004 and 2011. Lloyd, in 2006, founded CheeseFest, designed to raise awareness of Australian specialty cheese and local food and beverage businesses in South Australia. CheeseFest later expanded to celebrate other fermented products as Ferment the Festival.
In 2010, Lloyd won the Telstra business women’s national award for business innovation and, the next year, was presented with an Adelaide Food Legend award for her commitment to the industry in setting up the Artisan Cheese Making Academy Australia. In 2012, she was inducted into the prestigious International Cheesemakers Guilde des Fromagers, in France.
Lloyd recognised an opportunity in 2014 to introduce exceptional cheeses and other premium products she had encountered throughout her culinary career, now under her Kris Lloyd Artisan brand.
In 2016, Lloyd’s Anthill Cheese topped with native Australian green ants scored No.11 from 3,021 other entries at the world cheese awards, judged in San Sebastian, Spain. Lloyd also became an international cheese judge and local wine and food judge.
Lloyd became a member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 2020 for her contribution to the Australian cheese and tourism industries. She also was one of the South Australia’s food and wine ambassadors.