The hunt for an artisan cheesemaker for Adelaide’s Woodside Cheese Wrights is moving overseas, as Australian cheesemakers prove hard to find.

Recruitment marketing specialist, Employment Office, is now beginning the second stage of the recruitment drive, with plans to tempt New Zealand talent to Australian shores.

Managing Director, Tudor Marsden-Huggins, says the shortage of specialist cheesemakers is posing an interesting challenge.

“In the current job market, the vast majority of our clients are receiving an overwhelming response from job seekers,” he said. “For example, over 900 candidates applied for one Kitchen Attendant position in Sydney.

“However, with only 14 specialist cheesemakers in South Australia, finding the ideal candidate who really knows their craft is a little tricky”.

The initial nationwide recruitment drive attracted 38 applications from job seekers searching for an earthy lifestyle and, of course, a healthy remuneration of $75,000.

Mr Marsden-Huggins said the position generated a lot of interest from candidates looking for a unique career change.

“A cheesemaker lifestyle conjures up rustic imagines of vineyards and woodsheds – it is an urban dweller’s dream,” he said.

“But, Woodside has a reputation for creating award-winning produce, from vine-wrapped goat’s cheese to ashed camembert, and so we’re searching for a Master Cheesemaker, with a dollop of creative flair and expertise in traditional techniques”.

Having exhausted the Australian market, the recruitment campaign is now poised to enter New Zealand, where there are currently 35 Specialist Cheesemakers.

Kris Lloyd, Head Cheesemaker of the award-winning Woodside Cheese Wrights, says the Australian shortage of cheesemakers stems from the industry’s youth.

“The industry is really young, so when it comes to finding specialist cheesemakers, we’ve only got a couple of generations to choose from,” she said.

The emergence of Australian specialty cheese occurred in the 1950s, when cheddar’s control of the cheeseboard buckled under the creative flair of new boutique recipes.

Charleston, Feta and Gouda are now among the one hundred varieties of seasonal cheeses hand-crafted and matured across all six states.

However, as the industry continues to ripen, training opportunities for the next generation of budding cheese lovers are lacking.

While some European countries, such as Switzerland and Germany, have developed a six year dairy technology course that churns out master cheesemakers, Australian Agricultural Colleges only dabble in the cheesemaking basics.

As part of the Premiers Food Council, Kris Lloyd is currently working towards expanding the learning opportunities for those interested in the craft.

“If we’re going to grow the industry in Australia, we’ve really got to look at how we’re going to educate the next wave or how we might open up doors for cheesemakers from abroad,” she said.

The successful applicant will be based in the Adelaide Hills, where they will create new recipes and assist in the running of the production facility to produce 50 tonnes of cheese every year.