Cheer cheese facts for kids
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| Type | Cheese |
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| Inventor | Lua error in Module:WikidataIB at line 168: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). |
| Inception | 1931 as Red Coon; from 1959 COON; from 2021 CHEER |
| Manufacturer | Warrnambool Cheese and Butter, Allansford, Victoria, Australia |
| Website | Lua error in Module:WikidataIB at line 168: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). |
| Notes Parent company is Saputo Inc. |
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Cheer (styled as CHEER) is a popular Australian cheddar cheese. It used to be known as Coon cheese. This tasty cheese is made by the Warrnambool Cheese and Butter company in Australia. A Canadian dairy company called Saputo Inc. owns most of Warrnambool Cheese and Butter.
The cheese was first launched around 1931 as "Red Coon." It was created by the Kraft Walker Cheese Co.. This company was a partnership between Fred Walker and James L. Kraft. In 2021, the name was changed to "Cheer." This new name was chosen to represent happiness.
Contents
The Story of Cheer Cheese
How It All Began
Back in 1916, a smart Australian food maker named Fred Walker learned about a special way to make cheese. This method, developed by James L. Kraft from Chicago, stopped cheese from aging too quickly. Fred Walker traveled to the United States to meet Kraft. He wanted to use this method in Australia.
In 1925, Walker and Kraft teamed up to make "processed cheese" in Australia. Their company, Kraft Walker Cheese Co., started making "Kraft Cheddar Cheese" in South Melbourne in 1926.
The Early Years: Red Coon Cheese (1931–1959)
Around 1931, Kraft Walker Cheese Co. started selling a new cheese called "Red Coon." This cheese was special because it was "finely matured by a secret method." This gave it a unique, smooth taste. It was also advertised as being "2 years old."
Fred Walker had a chief scientist named Cyril Callister. Cyril was famous for creating Vegemite. He also helped create the recipe for Kraft Walker's processed cheese. He built a great laboratory at the factory.
In 1934, Kraft Walker leased a factory from Warrnambool Cheese and Butter in Allansford. They soon made it much bigger.
Red Coon cheese used to be covered in red wax. Later, it was wrapped in cellophane. The red stripe you see in the current Cheer cheese logo is a nod to that original red packaging. Production of Red Coon stopped during World War II in 1942. It started again in 1948. In 1949, Kraft Foods registered the name "COON" as a trademark in the US.
Becoming Coon Cheese (1959–2021)
Around 1959, the cheese started appearing in ads as "Coon 'Tasty' cheese." It was described as "Kraft natural tasty Coon Cheese, fully matured." Ads from the 1960s said it was "aged to full maturity." It was often marketed to "active men."
Cheer Cheese Today
The company Lion Dairy & Drinks managed the brand for some years. But in 2015, Warrnambool Cheese and Butter bought the brand back. As mentioned, Saputo Inc. from Canada now owns most of Warrnambool Cheese and Butter.
On January 13, 2021, the head of Saputo Inc. announced a big change. The cheese would be rebranded from "Coon" to "Cheer." This new name was launched in July 2021. The change happened after many discussions about the old name.
The Story Behind the Original Name
The company used to say the name "Coon" came from an American cheesemaker. His name was Edward William Coon from Philadelphia. In 1926, Edward Coon patented a special method in the US. This method helped cheese ripen quickly using high temperatures and humidity. His method did not use pasteurisation, which kills bacteria.
Edward Coon once ran 14 cheese factories. He later sold his businesses and started working for the Kraft-Phenix Cheese Company in 1928. He also sold his patent for ripening cheese at that time. He continued to work as a manager until he passed away in 1934.
Around 1942, Kraft began selling a cheese called "Kraft Coon cheese" in the US. However, it wasn't officially registered as a trademark until 1949.
