Curds are the Whey Forward
Driving back to Petone Wendy decided that ‘I had to make delicious speciality New Zealand cheeses available to more people. So the idea to open Cultured in Petone was born”
In only a year Wendy and her husband Conrad have transformed an old bodybuilding supplies shop on Jackson Street into a haven for the region’s cheese lovers.
“The Wellington region has amazing cheesemakers within two hours of the city centre - Zany Zeus, Kingsmeade and of course Biddy Fraser-Davies of Cwmglyn Farm in Eketahuna, who has probably the smallest dairy in the country,” says Wendy.
“At Cultured in Petone we celebrate the artisan and farmstead cheesemakers of New Zealand, who are creating exceptional textures and flavours from New Zealand’s lovely milk – cow, goat, sheep and buffalo.
“Having spent time in Europe visiting local markets we understand how important regional produce is. With something as variable as cheese you can literally taste the different regions.”
Starting a speciality business in the middle of a recession is not for everyone. “It has been hard, but initiatives like Visa Wellington on a Plate have really helped. We developed an artisan cheese tasting with The Empire, where local cheeses were paired with Wairarapa wines. It was fantastic, the event sold out in days and we had to put on another one,” says Wendy.
Wendy generously hosted national and international food media for Visa Wellington on a Plate. “The opportunity to get our products in front of local, national and international media is invaluable. We have really enjoyed working with Grow Wellington.”
www.cultured.co.nz