Valérie Henbest was born and bred in Normandie, the home of Camembert, and has spent half her life bringing the best of French cheese to Australia. Missing the flavours of home, Valérie took matters into her own hands, carefully selecting her favourite cheeses and building an importing business that brought small-batch French producers to Australian shores via air and sea freight.
Over the years, her network expanded across Europe, the UK, and the United States, allowing her to deliver cheeses to Australia exactly as their producers intended. Driven by a passion for quality, Valérie became a pioneer in affinage in Australia, helping to create one of the country’s first high-tech caves to properly store and care for naturally rinded cheeses such as Comté, Beaufort, Manchego, and Cheddar.
Today, Valérie oversees the import of more than 12 tons of primarily European cheeses each month, distributing nationwide and sharing her craft at the iconic Smelly Cheese Shop in Adelaide Central Market. Beyond sourcing and curating, she has dedicated herself to education, creating and delivering a series of nationally and internationally acclaimed cheese masterclasses.
Her contributions have been widely recognised. In 2018, she received South Australia’s award for outstanding contribution to gastronomy, followed by the French National Order of Agricultural Merit in 2023 for her role in promoting French cheese in Australia. Recently, she was inducted into the Guilde Internationale des Fromagers in Paris, a testament to her passion, influence, and unwavering commitment to the world of cheese.