The Kaimai Cheese Company was first established
in 2005 and floated as a public company aiming to establish a premium brand of
quality cheeses. The name ‘Kaimai’ highlights the nearby mountain range and
appropriately means ‘food source’. The factory began with exporting quality
‘French style’ soft cheeses to New Caledonia until the strengthening New
Zealand dollar made this uneconomic. The Company also merged with the Te Mata
Cheese Company, established in the Hawkes Bay and now sells cheeses under both
of these quality brands.