Riverina Fresh’s Lactose-Free Milk recently made history by being named Grand Champion Dairy Product at the Australian Grand Dairy Awards, and it holds the potential to shift the scope of Australia’s café scene.
At most cafés in Australia, the coffee menu reads like a carefully curated story. With discussion around origin, blends, and tasting notes, milk rarely takes the heading – but that’s exactly how Riverina Fresh likes it.
The historic dairy company has grown over more than a century with the philosophy that coffee leads, and milk supports.
Every now and then, though, the quiet achiever in every latte and flat white does earn some recognition. In late 2025, Riverina Fresh’s Lactose-Free milk was named the Grand Champion Dairy Product at the Australian Grand Dairy Awards, officially judged the best dairy product in Australia.
For a brand that sees itself as the backstage crew to the baristas it supports, Riverina Fresh Executive Chairman Craig Shapiro says the recognition is a moment of pride that has been accepted with humility.
“It’s incredibly special,” says Craig. “This award reflects the work of our farmers, our team, and the baristas who trust us every day. But ultimately our role is to help cafés serve amazing coffee.”
The Australian Grand Dairy Awards represent the highest recognition in the country. Only gold medal winners from state-based competitions qualify, and products are judged by industry experts across flavour, technical excellence, and overall quality.
“There are 11 categories,” Craig explains. “Each has its own champion, and then one product across all categories is awarded the overall Grand Champion Dairy Product. To receive that honour with a score of 19.5 out of 20 – as close to perfect as you can get – is incredibly humbling.”
Though the winning product is lactose-free, Craig is quick to point out that its foundation is the same milk the company has produced for generations: fresh, natural dairy from a small group of Riverina based farmers.
“The lactose-free version starts from our full-cream milk. We simply add lactase to break down the lactose into simpler, more digestible sugars,” says Craig.
“What matters most is the quality of the underlying fresh milk. Without that, nothing works.”
Riverina Fresh’s positioning as a support act to coffee, Craig says, is where the brand shows its true value. Rather than dominating the cup, he says the milk is designed to let the espresso lead to help create balance, sweetness, and texture without overshadowing the roast.
“When baristas talk to us, they don’t ask about awards,” says Craig. “They ask if the milk stretches consistently. If it pours cleanly. If it supports the flavour of the coffee.
“The fact our lactose-free milk does all that and has been recognised as the best dairy product in Australia means we’re doing our job.
“Having a high performing fresh lactose-free milk gives cafés another high-quality dairy option that performs beautifully in coffee.”
Behind every bottle of Riverina Fresh milk – Lactose-Free or otherwise – is a supply chain that has been built to prioritise speed, care, and minimal handling. It’s an approach Craig says Riverina Fresh rarely speaks loudly about, but it underpins why the brand has become such a staple in Australia’s specialty coffee scene.
“Our farmers produce exceptional milk every day,” he says.
“From there, our focus is on preserving that quality. We transport quickly, process gently, reduce exposure to heat and light, and get it to our customers as fast as we can.”
The emphasis on strength of supply chain is a practical requirement for producing milk that stretches predictably, froths consistently, and tastes clean and balanced.
Coffee professionals often talk about consistency and the ability to deliver the same quality cup after cup. Riverina Fresh’s role in that consistency is recognised across the specialty coffee sector, as the company continues to build strong roaster relationships to ensure it meets the ever-changing needs of coffee lovers.
One of those shifts in consumer behaviour Craig points to is an increasing interest in the role food plays in health and nutrition. The growth of weight loss drugs (GLP-1s) is having a major impact on that narrative, particularly in the United States (US), where upwards of 10 per cent of the population are reportedly now using them.
Diets are rapidly changing because of their popularity, and this is impacting portion sizes and the type of food being ordered in cafés and restaurants. A focus on fresh food and reduced consumption of ultra-processed foods has taken grip in the US.
While lactose-free milk is far from a new product, it’s gaining traction due to the continuing shift away from ultra-processed food and back towards fresh, natural products.
Craig says the impact will be similar in Australia once GLP-1s become more accessible.
“There’s a paradigm shift that is coming for the specialty coffee and café sector in Australia, because of weight loss drugs,” he says.
“People are going to be eating less, so they need to eat smarter. There’s definitely momentum back toward fresh, natural dairy.
“People want food that’s simple and nutritious. With cafés being such a part of daily life, the milk they choose really matters.”
But even as dietary habits change, the company doesn’t pitch lactose-free milk as the star. It’s one option within the broader rise of high-quality dairy.
“The award shows that you don’t need to compromise,” Craig says. “Cafés can offer something for people who avoid lactose while still serving the best dairy product in Australia.”
Because lactose-free milk has a slightly higher cost to produce, cafés often treat it similarly to plant-based alternatives – offering it as a small premium option.
The natural sweetness created when lactose breaks down into glucose and galactose has a genuine impact on flavour. Glucose is naturally sweeter than lactose, which leads to a change in flavour profile.
This added sweetness offers greater flavour balance in milk-based drinks, unlocking a point of difference for iced coffees and signature beverages.
“There’s definitely an opportunity for cafés to think differently about lactose-free dairy,” Craig notes. “People who usually add sugar might not need to. And if the milk helps create a better-tasting drink, it’s something the café can be proud to stand behind.”
But again, Riverina Fresh stresses that milk should enhance the cup, not dictate it.
“Ultimately, cafés know their customers best, we’re just here to support them,” says Craig.
For Riverina Fresh, the Grand Champion Dairy Award is a company milestone – and a moment shared with baristas, café owners, and roasters around the country who use its milk to bring the best coffees to life.
“The award belongs to the whole community: our farmers, our team, the cafés who trust us, and the baristas who work magic behind the counter,” says Craig.
“We just provide an ingredient. They create the experience.”
For Craig, that is the simple way of summing up Riverina Fresh’s role in Australia’s specialty coffee scene. Not the headline act, but a trusted support act – a humble partner helping create the best cups in Australia.
And, now, the producer of Australia’s best dairy product.
For more information, visit riverinafresh.com.au
This article appears in the February 2025 edition of BeanScene. Subscribe HERE.
