Australia’s most acid-tongued food critic has divided his followers by ‘dancing on the grave’ of a beloved local cheese producer.
John Lethlean – who has written restaurant and food reviews for major Australian newspapers and magazines for more than two decades – skewered King Island Dairy in his latest post.
The 120-year-old Tasmanian cheese shop will shut it doors permanently mid next year, Canadian-owner Saputo announced last month, leaving 58 staff out in the cold.
The future of the business had been under a cloud for 10 months after Saputo launched a strategic review of the facility that produced gourmet cheeses like brie and blue vein.
King Island Dairy operations began in the early 1900s and is one of the biggest employers in the small island, which is home to 1,600 people.
Lethlean described King Island Dairy’s brie as ‘rubbish’ and ‘devoid of any character’ in his scathing post.
‘The recently announced corporate demise of King Island Dairy should have taken nobody who loves cheese by surprise,’ Lethlean began his latest missive.
‘The cheeses have always been rubbish and this so-called brie I have here… completely devoid of any character whatsoever unless all you’re looking for in a soft, white mould cheese is industrial salt.
Australia’s notorious acid-tongued food critic has divided his followers by ‘dancing on the grave’ of a beloved local cheese producer
John Lethlean – who has written restaurant and food reviews for major Australian newspapers and magazines for more than two decades – skewered King Island Dairy in his latest post. The short and sharp take down was posted alongside a rather unappetising photo of a piece of cheese sweating in crumpled tin foil.
‘Awful.’
The short and sharp take down was posted alongside a rather unappetising photo of a piece of cheese sweating in crumpled tin foil.
Lethlean divided his fans with his stinky review.
Premium smoked fish brand Bellarine Smokehouse poked some Swiss-sized holes in his comments.
The 120-year-old Tasmanian cheese shop will shut it doors permanently mid next year, Canadian-owner Saputo announced last month, leaving 58 staff out in the cold
‘Dancing on peoples graves with the demise of a business that employed half an island is really not a good look. I was brought up to believe if you’ve got nothing nice to say don’t say anything,’ the Melbourne business account wrote.
‘It is the largest employer on a very small island…what do you expect people to do now for their livelihoods?
‘Maybe you should ask questions about foreign ownership rules of primary producers by our Federal government. That discussion would be far more relevant…’
Lethlean retired his mighty pen from The Australian in 2022 and then found himself in some very hot water over crude comments he made about a waitress in 2023
Lethlean divided his fans with his stinky review of the cheese
The comment racked up 46 likes, but Lethlean also had support for his take.
‘I am so glad to hear you say it. Have always thought it was blander than a bland thing that is very bland indeed,’ one person wrote.
‘This wordiness of this post is also a depressing reminder of how I’d look forward to reading Lethlean in the Aus[tralian] on eating and there’s now a void which doesn’t look like it will be filled anytime soon,’ one diehard fan of his added.
Meanwhile, a third asked Lethlean, ‘Is this a review of yourself?’
Lethlean retired his mighty pen from The Australian in 2022 and then found himself in some very hot water over crude comments he made about a waitress in 2023.
‘And the maitre d’/meet and greeter wears an outfit that threatens to expose more than just her inexperience when she bends over to set a table,’ Lethlean wrote in a post promoting his review of a Perth restaurant in Delicious last year.
He was pushed to delete his Instagram temporarily after widespread backlash from the hospitality industry and general public.
Meanwhile, Saputo chief operating officer Leanne Cutts said the decision to wind up the iconic Tasmanian business had been difficult.
She said ‘every possible option’ had been reviewed, but closure was the most viable way to strengthen Saputo’s competitiveness in a changing market.
‘As King Island Dairy’s historic roots are deeply embedded in the region, it was hoped the strategic review would identify a potential buyer for the facility,’ Ms Cutts said.
‘It is a unique brand, with a plant that is nearly 100 years old.
‘(While) King Island Dairy products hold a nostalgic place in the hearts of Australians, the brand has not maintained its position in today’s ultra-competitive food industry.’
King Island Dairy operations began in the early 1900s and is one of the biggest employers in the island which holds about 1,600 people
Saputo bought King Island Dairy in 2019 as part of its purchase of Lion Dairy & Drinks’s cheese business.
It confirmed 58 employees would be affected but ‘redeployment opportunities’ would be identified where possible.
Ms Cutts said Saputo would work with dairy farmers and the island’s broader community.
Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff said Saputo’s decision was very disappointing.
‘We are providing immediate support to the company’s workers, farmers and the wider island community,’ he said.
Mr Rockliff said the state government was prepared to work with the company in a further effort to find a new operator.
Saputo describes itself as one of the top 10 dairy processors in the world.
King Island has a unique climate based on its location and provides lush grazing for cows and unusually sweet milk.
Saputo also owns Cheer Cheese, formerly known as Coon Cheese, having bought most of Warrnambool Cheese and Butter a decade ago.
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