Melbourne's Getting a New Festival Dedicated to Australian Cheese

You can never have too many occasions to eat cheese; however Melbourne's newest celebration of everyone's favourite dairy product isn't just keen to shower cheese fiends with creamy goodness. A collaboration between Bottle Shop Concepts and Bruny Island Cheese Co cheesemaker Nick Haddow, Mould: A Cheese Festival wants dairy-lovers to explore and devour the mild, hard and soft bites that Australia's best cheese wizards have to offer.

Corralling 20 local producers together, and showcasing more than 80 different varieties, the festival with paint North Melbourne's Meat Market yellow from 11am to 6pm on September 2. Yes, it'll make everyone discover just how many times they can say the word cheese before it starts to sound strange — but, it'll also feature flavoursome fare from Yarra Valley Dairy, Holy Goat Cheese, Woodside Cheese Wrights, Pyengana Dairy Company, Shaw River Buffalo Cheese, That's Amore, Grandvewe and more. Think of it as a cheese tasting trip around Australia without leaving Blackwood Street.

Of course, snacking on samples and purchasing slices and slabs to take home with you are just two ways to enjoy cheese. Don't worry, Mould: A Cheese Festival has other cheese-tastic fun in store as well. In fact, the fest will boast cooking demonstrations and masterclasses so you'll know just how to make the best cheesy wonders, as well as everything from grilled cheese sandwiches and 'flaming Reubens' to raclette and cheese-flavoured gelato. You can thank Maker & Monger, Harper & Blohm and Pidapipó for all of that, with Tivoli Road Bakery joining in to serve up that cheese-accompanying staple: bread aplenty.

It wouldn't be a cheese festival without beverages to wash it all down with, so expect a bar serving Aussie tipples such as Patrick Sullivan and Pennyweight wines, Starward whisky, Stone & Wood beer and Napoleone cider — and expect to spend plenty of time trying to pair your cheeses and your pints oh-so-perfectly. Tickets cost $45, which includes tastings, classes, one free glass of vino and a PLUMM wine glass to keep (and cheese dreams later, obviously).

Mould: A Cheese Festival takes place from 11am to 6pm on September 2 at Meat Market, 5 Blackwood Street, North Melbourne. For more information, head to the fest's website and Facebook page.