Cheesemaking provides cheese and yoghurt makers with premium equipment and ingredients so that you can make great cheeses and yoghurts at home. The information below may help you understand what is involved in having your order shipped to you.
Are there still delays with postage due to Covid-19?
Cheesemaking uses Australia Post, Express and Parcel Post services to ship packages around Australia. Still, in June 2022, there are delays in shipping products due to Covid-19. This is due to a heavier than usual volume of parcels, reduced flights and the impact of social distancing at postage sorting venues.
Should you choose Express Shipping, Parcel Post or Pickup?
This depends on your location, the type of product or products that you have ordered, your budget and your timeframe for receiving the package. You have three options to choose from:
- Pickup: a pickup option is available for pickup from Stafford Qld 4053. This option would suit people residing in the greater Brisbane area.
- Australia Post Parcel Post: Recommended for non-perishable items or where urgency is not required. This service will usually take 2 + business days.
- Australia Post Express Post: This option is recommended if you are purchasing perishable items or perishable items with equipment. This is a next business day service, however, this depends on your location, so Australia Post conditions do apply. It is only a slightly more expensive option than the parcel post option.
Do I get an email notification of your tracking number?
When your order is posted you will receive an automatically generated email from Australia Post: noreply@notifications.auspost.com.au’, ‘Your delivery is on its way. It contains the tracking number for your order. It is recommended that you track your parcel using the tracking number provided so that you can monitor its progress.
When will my order be sent?
We will send out your order on a Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday. We do not post items later in the week to prevent them from being held up in transit, possibly leaving your perishables sitting in a post office or warehouse over the weekend.
If you are purchasing perishable items, and you live in a rural location, it is advisable that you specify in the note section of the order ‘Rural Location – Post on Monday only’.
How long can my cultures stay out of the freezer?
The cheese, yoghurt, flavour and ripening cultures are freeze-dried. These cultures look like milk powder at first glance. Freeze-drying preserves what is a perishable product and makes it suitable for long term storage and transport.
Some international deliveries can take a few weeks and longer to arrive. I have discussed this with the manufacturers; the cultures and rennet etc will be perfectly fine, even for 6 weeks out of the fridge or freezer.
What happens if the gel ice pack has defrosted when I receive it?
The ice gel pack will keep your cultures cool during the first 24 hours of the journey. If the gel pack has melted on arrival, it will not affect the quality of your cultures. The cultures in your order are usually packed the night before they are sent, with a gel pack and in a foil pouch and placed in the freezer. The following day, any rennet or other non-frozen product is added. It is a means to add maximum freezing to your package before it is sent.
Please try to place any perishable items into the fridge or the freezer (each product is marked accordingly) as soon as you can after receiving them.
Will Australia Post require a signature to receive the package?
Usually not. Their policy is to leave the package in a safe place if there is one. If the parcel is not left at the address provided, the postage delivery person should leave a note and take the package back to the post office for you to collect later.
What address do I supply?
You should provide as much detail on your order to ensure your order is delivered on time and to the right location. Your name, mobile phone number and full address are good starting points. Then add a company, unit complex number and name, floor level if relevant. If you live in multiple dwellings, this may create confusion with deliveries and cause some orders to go astray or to be left in a place that is not secure. If you are in a multiple dwelling, is there another option that you can use! Finally provide a ‘special note for delivery’ detail on the checkout page of your order, that gives the post person clear direction of where to leave your package.
Is your delivery is going to a multiple dwelling complex?
If you reside in a multiple dwelling complex, there is a chance that your delivery can go astray. If you have the option, have your package sent to an address that is not a multiple-unit dwelling. If that is not possible, make sure that someone can track the package via the email provided and then be available to receive that package.
What if I am not home when the package is delivered?
Cheesemaking recommends that you provide an address that is attended during delivery hours, where someone will be available to receive and refrigerate the items that you have purchased. If this is not possible specify your delivery instructions for the package when you place the order.
What if my package did not arrive?
Ideally, you have tracked your package and the Australia Post system will provide some information on the whereabouts of the package. If you are unsure about where your package is, you will need to call Australia Post on 13 13 18 and lodge an enquiry. Enquiries can also be lodged via online enquiry: https://auspost.com.au/help-and-support?group=deliveryoptions