Cheese Maker: Benny Mathews

Question: How long have you been a cheesemaker?
Answer: Seven Years. Two and a half years at Te Mata Cheese Company and Four and a hlaf years at Kapiti Cheese Company.

Question: How did you train to be a cheese maker?
Answer: I trained on the job at Kapiti - like an apprenticeship. I attended short courses in Australia with Neil Wilman (the current Chief Judge of the NZ Cheese Awards), and read lots of cheese books.

Question: What subjects were you good at when you were at school?
Answer: Science, Biology and Maths.

Question: What is your faourite cheese style to make?
Answer: Bay View Blue, our creamy cows milk blue cheese.

Question: What is your favourite cheese style to eat?
Answer: Washe rind styles (like Te Mata Irongate) and strong blue cheeses. The riper and stronger the better!

Question: Are you developing any new cheese styles at Te Mata Cheese Company?
Answer: We are working on some flavoured goudas at the moment. We are interested in using the flavours of Hawke's Bay - so watch this space....

Question: Do you have a family?  
Answer: Yes, I have a wife Bridgette, two daughters, Brooke and Jessica and a son, Jayden. Bridgette was responsible for me becomming a cheesemaker. I was doing another job that I wasn't enjoying, and she sid I should do something I was passionate about, so I applied to be a cheesemaker.

Question: Are New Zealand Cheeses as good as French cheeses?
Answer: New Zealand cheeses can be as good as French cheese but the NZ palate is  'generally' not ready for them . New Zealander's still demand brie that is pure white on the outside and firm in the middle. French brie can be quite discoloured, craked, mis-shapen and smell of ammonia. French people enjoy them like this. We need to educate New Zealand people about cheese as a living product.