OUR STORY
Every great cheese has a story, and ours began in 2008 in a home kitchen.
Driven by a shared passion for food, science, and craftsmanship, Monica Senna Salerno and Jenny Oldham began experimenting with cheese recipes, enlisting friends and colleagues as their first taste testers. Their curiosity soon led them to discover something special—fresh New Zealand goat milk. The clean, delicate flavour, naturally smooth texture, and exceptional nutritional qualities of goats cheese is what propelled their personal passion into something much bigger.
By 2010, demand for their handcrafted cheeses had outgrown the kitchen. Cilantro was established as a boutique artisan business on the Ruakura Campus in Hamilton, bringing traditional craftsmanship together with modern food science to create premium goat milk products.
As the business grew, so did its relationships with local New Zealand goat farmers. A partnership with Rupert Soar, who brought more than 30 years of dairy industry experience, ensured consistent supply of quality goat milk while strengthening the company's technical expertise and commitment to quality.
With access to such high quality, fresh milk, it felt only natural to begin bottling it as well, expanding the Cilantro range to include fresh goat milk alongside its award winning cheeses.
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Now led in production by Factory Operations Manager Suli Laomahei, Cilantro continues to grow while staying true to its artisan roots. Our range has expanded to include handcrafted cheeses, marinated specialties, yoghurt, and fresh goat milk, enjoyed by customers throughout New Zealand.
We're proud to be:
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Made in New Zealand
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MPI Certified for Export
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Halal Certified
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Available for Contract Manufacturing, including Organic products
At Cilantro, we believe exceptional food starts with exceptional ingredients.
By combining premium New Zealand goat milk with traditional cheesemaking techniques,
we create products that are wholesome, naturally delicious, and crafted with care.
Whether you're discovering goat milk products for the first time or have loved them for years,
we're delighted to share our passion with you.
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From our family of makers to your table—welcome to Cilantro.
Contact Us
Address
Ruakura Campus
10 Bisley Road, Enderley,
Hamilton 3214
Contact
Opening Hours
Our factory runs on normal business hours, however we are only open for pickups on Wednesdays between 9am - 11am.
