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Great Ocean Road cheese slices competition

cheeseA relatively new addition to supermarket shelves has emerged as Australia’s favourite brand of cheese.

Great Ocean Road, which was launched to the national market in 2012, after Victorian dairy company, Warrnambool Cheese & Butter, agreed a deal to supply milk and cheese to Coles, has picked up Canstar Blue’s Most Satisfied Customers Award for block cheese.

The brand was developed in partnership between the dairy company and retailing giant, and is sold exclusively in Coles stores.

It beat private label brands from all three big supermarkets, as well as a host of big name brands, including Bega, Devondale, and Kraft, for overall customer satisfaction. Great Ocean Road also got top marks for variety, taste, and packaging appeal.

“Great Ocean Road is certainly a very strong, eye catching brand, which helps it stand out from the crowd in supermarket fridges,” said head of Canstar Blue, Megan Doyle.

“The name evokes imagery of the Australian coastline, its beauty, nature and purity, which helps make it appealing to consumers.

“However, the acid test is whether or not the tastes lives up to expectations and consumers are convinced it’s more than a match for the big brands. It’s a great success story for a brand that few consumers would have heard of just three years ago. It’s made a big impression.”

Earlier this year, Warrnambool Cheese & Butter acquired some of Australia’s most well known cheese brands from Lion Dairy, including Coon and Cracker Barrel, which it already produced in south-west Victoria.

Mike Murray, senior brand manager, Warrnambool Cheese & Butter, said the company’s collaboration with Coles has helped bring its locally produced products to the attention of consumers across Australia.

“The partnership with Coles shows that working collaboratively on future innovation and brands can really drive a successful outcome. Winning this award is testament to consumers’ love of a great high quality product and a brand that consumers understand,” he said

Drivers of customer satisfaction

  • Taste: 54 per cent
  • Value for money: 27 per cent
  • Variety / range: 11 per cent
  • Packaging appeal: 8 per cent

cheese graph

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