bega cheese heritage centre

If you like a variety of cheeses, then to taste scrumptious cheese, the Bega cheese centre is a must. They have a variety of 10 delicious cheeses available for free tasting.

We visited and expected there would be tours of the factory however that doesn't happen so we were a little disappointed. The food, souvenir, and sampling counter area seemed quite small and the samples on offer were the plastic wrapped cheese slices cut up into strips so not something we would bother trying or that we would purchase. We do buy Bega Cheese in blocks when at home. The dining room looked rather dark with the timber walls and tables being wooden too. The lady at the information desk on the left as you walk in was quite helpful. We went upstairs to view all the historical items on display as after all this is the "Heritage Centre" and found it quite interesting. Even a gift shop in one corner which was selling some local craft items and there was one staff member in attendance. It almost seemed like people didn't realise what was up the timber steps as we were the only people there. That for us was the best part of the Heritage Centre. The Centre is worth a visit but not top of the list of places to see on the South Coast for us.

The factory is right next to the heritage Centre but unfortunately the factory does not offer tours. The tasting was limited too and we did not try the ice-cream but some ladies sitting outside said it was lovely.We ventured upstairs to see the museum section which was well set out and cheese making today is much changed from days gone by. There was a gift shop as well as the usual souvenirs.

Bega Cheese is the biggest player in town. Dominating the local cheese empire, this corporate giant is famous but it’s no Willy Wonka factory. It’s manufacturing plant is large & ugly sitting prettily in the Bega Valley.Listed as Australia’s fourth largest dairy company, when it was turned into a corporation last year surprise-surprise several directors of the board became instant millionaires. The last CEO just got jailed for crimes against the community which I won’t mention but they should throw away the key. With all the dodgy business going on they do make good cheese. The Bega Cheese Heritage Centre is located in a pretty little cottage next to their factory but inside is a darkly-lit café & museum with very little information, its worth about 15 mins to look at then it’s back to my phone texting my friends. Growing up & seeing cheesy Bega Cheese commercials, I couldn’t resist the temptation of buying a pre-prepared cheese platter to enjoy on the balcony. After driving for hours I didn’t really want to sit inside a dark stuffy souvenir shop so I found a table out on the balcony with a view of the surrounding Bega valley on a sunny Spring morning. I went old school, I had to try their fresh fudge & finished with a tub of Ben & Jerry ice cream. Cheese-platter, fudge & ice cream….sometimes you have to find your own fun.Available only at the Bega Cheese factory was a special type of hard cheese called the Bega Heritage variety, it says on the packaging that it has been aged 3 years & it has a very strong flavour, easily my favourite cheese there. The cheese tasting station - although was free, was underwhelming, in normal-speak I would say it is very stingy. For a famous Australian company that makes squillions in profit, seeing tiny little cheese pieces & only eight types of cheese varieties seemed pretty weak. I imagined the Bega Cheese Factory would have a specialty deli selling gourmet & experimental cheeses in large bite-sized chunks served with endless crackers & a large extensive red wine selection from the local valley in a room full of oak barrels. I also imagined cows & magical factory tours by men with wonderful moustaches & beautiful German women. Damn, reality hits you hard.

Food always good, with pleasant staff. Needs to be smartened up, has looked "tired" for quite a while. Tasting section poor. 1kg tubs of Bega butter available here which you can't get in supermarkets. Helpful volunteer staff in information section. A wonderful selection of cheap books for sale with proceeds going to help Can Assist, an organisation which gives financial assistance to locals with cancer.

This is a great place to visit. From parking in the shady picturesque carpark to when you return and drive away. The little museum is fabulous. My grandkids and I spent two hours reading all the information and looking at the exhibits. The cheese tasting was great and we even stayed for something to eat. (not the initial intention) The ladies in the café are friendly and efficient. The gallery was the same. Such a lovely place to spend some time, and take in the food. Its worth it.

Great place. Beautiful Cheese and Milk. We always visit here when we are out this way. They also sell large tubs of pure Butter, which is great value.

This was by far the most disappointing stop on our ten-day road trip. My son and I were looking forward to a tour of the factory but, upon entering, a small sign at reception curbs your enthusiasm advising that there are NO TOURS! On questioning the only staff member I could find about this she looked at me as if to say "why are you asking me when the sign says so." I still didn't get a satisfactory answer. Upstairs the artefacts and museum area seemed unloved and hastily thrown together nor were there any staff around to help you out or explain how some of the machinery worked. The tasting area was laughable with nothing exotic to try and dwarfed by the tacky souvenir section and cafe. We were considering brunch here on arrival but ultimately couldn't wait to get out of the centre in the end. Needs a complete re-vamp if Bega is to remain on the tourist map.

Places like this make you understand why tourism in Australia is struggling. One dirty, boring room of artifacts with poorly written explanations if any at all. No interactive stuff for kids and no explanation on the actual process of making cheese. The actual cheese selection itself was limited and average. Only redeeming the reasonably priced fudge. In desperate need of a renovation, a clean and something to make it relevant for the 21st century.

I left the Bega Cheese Herritage centre feeling underwhelmed. There is a free exhibit upstairs which deals with the history of cheese making and Bega. It's nice but it only took my family 15mins to have a good look around. There are no factory tours or info on modern day cheese making. There were surprisingly few cheese tasting options (maybe 8?). There was a gift shop and a café, we stopped for a bite to eat and the food was good. Unexpectedly, there were also a few second hand books for sale. This building also contains the Bega tourism info centre, which is of course worth a look if you are visiting Bega and it's surrounding areas.

Apart from the wide selection of cheese available, which includes some only available at "the cellar door" I was quite disappointed.

We only visit the Heritage Cheese Centre to purchase cheese that is not sold anywhere else - the Heritage Tasty. Fighting the crowds and struggling to get a "tasting" of the cheeses on offer can be frazzling!Because I have friends who work at the factory I am sometime told of special releases of similar cheese sold to the supermarkets, so can stock up then (and for less than the Cheese Centre charges).If you love cheese you nay find this an interesting stop, otherwise give it a miss.

WE loved the authentic displays of historical items combined with the beautiful cheeses. The staff were very polite

Very disappointing given we saw this on the map and were really looking forward to it. The potential to make it educational is huge. Obviously has a lot of history and old equipment but no signs to tell you what it is, how it was used or how old it was. Also dusty, dirty and unloved. More interest in making money from gift shop. I have never felt compelled to write a review on Trip Advisor but such was the let down. Come on Bega it wouldn't take a fortune to turn this into something special.

We went specifically to buy the Bega Old and Bitey cheese, and was able to buy 2 kilos for only $20 We also tried other cheeses from big range available. The visitor centre was very busy.