Australian establishment Lion has opened its expanded and upgraded specialty cheese manufacturing facility - The Heritage - in Burnie, Tasmania, which is said to be the largest in the Southern hemisphere.
The specialty cheese facility has seen around $150m in investment.
The plant is capable of producing over 11,000 tonnes of cheese annually by processing 80 million liters of milk, reported The Sydney Morning Herald.
Lion said that the expanded facility will allow the company to increase capacity and capability in the specialty cheese category, by driving higher margin sales that deliver sustainable returns to Lion and through the whole supply chain.
The new investment will focus on further improving the site's capacity, capability, environmental impact and safety.
Commenting on the expansion, Lion CEO Stuart Irvine said: "Specialty cheese will be a key value driver for our business, as a growing category that is strategically important to our customers. Lion is proud to be the clear category leader, with a powerful portfolio of brands that Australians know and love - from South Cape, to Tasmanian Heritage, Mersey Valley and King Island.
"We have significant headroom to increase specialty cheese consumption and maximise the impact of our portfolio, and our strategy is focused on unlocking this opportunity."
Image: The Heritage plant is capable of producing over 11,000 tonnes of cheese annually. Photo: courtesy of Mister GC / freedigitalphotos.
