Bannister Downs scoops more awards

Article by Mal Gill courtesy of Farm Weekly

Bannister Downs Dairy’s Daubney family, Campbell (left), Mat, Sue, Annalise, Johnson and Libby. Their Non-homogenised Full Cream Milk and Mango Smoothie products were named as national champion award winners.

 

NORTHCLIFFE’S family run Bannister Downs Dairy has won two national champion best-in-category trophies at the COVID-19 delayed 2020 Dairy Industry Association Australia (DIAA) awards.

Although DIAA State and national competitions were judged earlier in the year, winners of sponsored national champion awards in 43 categories covering white milks, flavoured milks, butter, yoghurts, gelatis, ice cream, dairy desserts and non-bovine dairy products, were only announced last week.

Bannister Downs Dairy added the Merleux Nutrisciences Award for highest scoring unmodified full-fat milk to its trophy cabinet, awarded for its Non-homogenised Full Cream Milk.

It is the first time Bannister Downs’ milk has won that trophy.

The Bannister Downs Dairy Mango Smoothie also took out the 4Site Engineers Award for the highest scoring flavoured milk other than chocolate and coffee.

Bannister Downs Dairy won the same national award last year with its Spearmint Blitz flavoured milk and the Mango Smoothie flavoured milk has won the national champion award on at least three previous occasions.

A focus on producing a consistent level of quality year-on-year has seen Bannister Downs Dairy, the smallest of WA’s four milk processors, win champion awards at a national level on multiple occasions since 2007.

Earlier this year Bannister Downs Dairy Farm Fresh Milk and Fresh Cream products were named Champion Milk and Champion Cream in the WA State competition.

Bannister Downs Dairy managing director Sue Daubney said the family knew they had to start with a quality raw product.

“We’ve worked really hard over the years to be innovative and to offer a product with a point of difference, but we always prioritise the basics, which is why from the very beginning, we start with the aim to be the best dairy farmers we can be,” Ms Daubney said.

“We’re proud of the products which have been awarded national trophies this year.

“Our Mango Smoothie has been very popular for many years and our Non-Homogenised Full Cream Milk is also growing in popularity so it’s pleasing that the hard work we’ve put into developing and producing these products has been noted by the national judges.

“2020 has been a difficult year for people all over the world and the dairy industry in WA hasn’t been immune from the economic impacts of COVID-19, so these awards announcements have been a wonderful excuse to celebrate how far we’ve come in the 15 years since we’ve been on this journey.

“We won’t let this pandemic stop us – we have many goals to work towards and these wins are great to share with our team and partner to give us all a pep in our step to go forward,” she said.

Bannister Downs Dairy was established at Northcliffe by the Daubney family in 1924 and the Bannister Downs Dairy brand was established in 2005.

In 2014 the family accepted an offer of a partnership with Gina Rinehart and Hancock Agriculture.

This enabled them to bring forward their dream of The Creamery, a combined robotic rotary dairy, new low-temperature processing equipment and tourist facility with a dairy viewing area and cafe.

Because of COVID-19 risk at a production facility, The Creamery is currently closed to tourists.

The only other WA product to win 2020 DIAA national champion awards was Hunt & Brew Cold Brew Coffee Colombia.

It won the Foss Award for highest scoring flavoured milk and the Tate & Lyle Award for highest scoring flavoured milk – coffee.

The first premium, single-origin cold brew coffee drink bottled in and distributed from WA, through an association with Brownes Dairy in Balcatta, the Hunt & Brew coffee range was launched on the national market in late 2018.

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