Coon 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 |
| 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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Coon cheese, now known as Cheer cheese, is a type of cheddar cheese made in Australia. It's often called "tasty" cheese there. The company that makes it is called Warrnambool Cheese and Butter, which is mostly owned by a Canadian company named Saputo Inc..
The cheese was first launched around 1931 by the Kraft Walker Cheese Co. It was originally called "Red Coon." In 1949, the name "COON" was officially registered as a trademark for cheese in the US.
The company used to say the name came from an American cheesemaker named Edward William Coon. He invented a way to ripen cheese faster using high heat and humidity in 1926. However, it's not clear if the Australian company actually used his specific method.
On January 13, 2021, the company announced that "Coon" cheese would change its name to "Cheer" cheese. This new name was chosen to represent happiness and was launched in July 2021.
Contents
History of Coon Cheese
How it Started
In 1916, a man named Fred Walker learned about a special way to make processed cheese from James L. Kraft in Chicago. This method stopped cheese from ripening further. Walker went to the United States to meet Kraft and get the rights to use this method in Australia.
They started a partnership in 1925 to make processed cheese. In May 1926, their company, Kraft Walker Cheese Co., was officially registered. They began making "Kraft Cheddar Cheese" at their factory in South Melbourne.
The "Red Coon" Years (1931–1959)
Around July 1931, Kraft Walker Cheese Co. started selling a cheese called "Red Coon." This cheese was not processed. Instead, it was matured using a special secret method. This gave it a unique smooth texture and mild flavor. Advertisements said the cheese was "2 years old."
Fred Walker had hired Cyril Callister as his main scientist. Callister was famous for creating Vegemite and the recipe for Kraft Walker's processed cheese. He also set up a good laboratory at the factory.
In November 1934, Kraft Walker leased a factory from Warrnambool Cheese and Butter in Allansford. They soon made it bigger.
Red Coon cheese used to be covered in red wax. Later, this was changed to cellophane. The red stripe you see in the current logo is a reminder of this original red packaging.
Production of Red Coon stopped for a while in December 1942 because of World War II. It started again in June 1948 at the Allansford factory and also in Quinalow, Queensland. In October 1949, Kraft Foods officially registered the trademark "COON" for cheese in the US.
In November 1951, a new Kraft-Walker factory opened in Northgate, Brisbane. This factory had a cool storage area for Red Coon cheese, which was made in Queensland. The cheese was often described as "mature" in advertisements during the 1950s.
Advertising for "Red Coon" cheese seemed to stop around 1959.
The "Coon" Years (1959–2021)
In 1959, "Coon Tasty" cheese began to appear in newspapers. Advertisements showed it was sold in 8-ounce packages. It was described as "Kraft natural tasty Coon Cheese, fully matured," with a "robust flavour men really appreciate."
An advertisement from 1961 said it was "Manufactured in Melbourne" by Kraft Foods Ltd. It was marketed as being "aged to full maturity" and appealing to "active men."
Coon Cheese in the 21st Century
For some years, another company called Lion Dairy & Drinks managed the brand. But in May 2015, Warrnambool Cheese and Butter bought the brand back.
Today, Coon (now Cheer) is the Australian trademark for cheese made by Warrnambool Cheese and Butter. This company is mostly owned by the Canadian dairy company Saputo Inc..
On January 13, 2021, Lino A. Saputo, the head of Saputo Inc., announced the cheese would be renamed "Cheer." This change happened in July 2021. It followed many discussions about the cheese's original name.
Edward William Coon's Process
In 1926, an American cheesemaker named Edward William Coon from Philadelphia invented a way to ripen cheese quickly. He used high temperatures and humidity. His method did not involve pasteurisation, which is a process that kills bacteria to make cheese last longer.
Coon used to run 14 cheese factories in New York State. He later sold his businesses and started working for the Kraft-Phenix Cheese Company in Philadelphia in 1928. He also sold his patent for ripening cheese at the same time. Coon continued to work as a manager until he passed away in 1934.
Around October 1942, Kraft started selling a cheese called "Kraft Coon cheese" in the US. However, it wasn't officially registered as a trademark until 1949.
