Bulla Dairy Foods
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Dairy manufacturing |
| Founded | 1910 |
| Founder | Thomas Sloan |
| Headquarters | Derrimut, Melbourne , Australia |
Area served | Australia, international exports (17 countries) |
| Products | Ice cream, table cream, yoghurt, sour cream, cottage cheese, imitation cream |
Number of employees | 600+ |
| Website | www |
Bulla Dairy Foods stands as a prominent Australian dairy manufacturer offering a diverse portfolio of products, including ice cream, table cream, yoghurt, sour cream, cottage cheese, and imitation cream under multiple brand names for both domestic consumption and export markets. Founded in 1910, the company remains under the ownership of three interconnected families. Deriving its name from its Victorian roots, Bulla has operated for more than a century, exporting to 17 nations and supplying major supermarket chains across Australia. Employing in excess of 600 staff members, Bulla runs three production facilities located in Victoria—specifically in Colac, Dandenong, and Mulgrave—with its headquarters and distribution hub situated in Derrimut, Melbourne. The "Unfakeable" campaign was launched by Bulla in 2015 to underscore its authentic Australian heritage.
Founding
The origins of Bulla Dairy Foods trace back to 1910 when Thomas Sloan established the Bulla Cream Company in Moonee Ponds, Melbourne. Milk was sourced from the farm of Sloan’s brother William in Bulla and transported in copper cans stamped with ‘Bulla,’ which inadvertently gave the company its name.
Thomas Sloan developed an innovative technique to thicken cream by pasteurising it using wood-fired heat within copper cans. Distribution was initially conducted using horse-drawn carts equipped with wet bags to maintain cool temperatures for the milk cans. By 1914, Hugh Anderson—Sloan’s brother-in-law—and subsequently his brother Jack joined the enterprise, creating ownership ties among three families. Marketing and distribution responsibilities were managed by Jack Anderson alongside Thomas Sloan, while Hugh Anderson took charge of production operations.
Expansion occurred in 1914 with the acquisition of a butter factory located in Drysdale. In 1921, Bulla secured land for its inaugural factory in the Western District town of Colac. Operations transitioned from Drysdale to Colac by 1922. The company established new headquarters on Arden Street in North Melbourne in 1928, centralizing manufacturing, bottling, distribution, and administrative functions. Ice cream production commenced at the Colac site in 1929; the Regal Ice Cream factory was purchased in 1930 and operated under that brand until it was rebranded to Bulla Ice Cream in 2004.
Although maintaining a strong family-owned image, Bulla began appointing senior executives from outside the founding families during the late 1990s. Construction on a new 6,400 square metre manufacturing facility on Forest Street in Colac started in 2000 and became fully operational by 2003.
Recent developments
In 2009, Bulla expanded its ice cream portfolio by acquiring the remaining ice cream assets that Fonterra sold to Nestlé and also took over the Brownes tub ice cream range based in Western Australia. By 2014, Bulla had obtained an Australian licence from Cadbury to produce, market, and distribute Cadbury Marvelous Creations ice cream within Australia. In May of that year, Bulla entered into a partnership with the Australian Dairy Farmers Corporation (ADFC), ensuring daily fresh milk supply from Victorian producers.
The "Unfakeable" advertising initiative launched in 2015 reinforced Bulla’s Australian lineage by celebrating over 105 years of dairy production. This campaign included television advertisements focusing on their cream and ice cream offerings. In 2017, Bulla transitioned to sourcing milk directly from farms rather than relying on third-party suppliers. That June also saw the introduction of updated Country of Origin labelling designed to support Australian farmers and emphasize the company’s local provenance.
January 2020 marked the launch of Bulla’s ‘Murray Street’ ice cream range, commemorating more than nine decades of ice cream manufacturing at their Colac facility in Victoria.
Operations
Bulla Dairy Foods employs a workforce exceeding 600 individuals throughout Victoria, Australia, and exports its products to 17 international markets. The company’s headquarters are located in Derrimut, Melbourne, with production plants situated in Colac, Dandenong, and Mulgrave, Victoria.
Production
The company oversees the production of 160 stock keeping units on a continuous seven-day schedule. Australian milk suppliers provide the raw milk, which is then pasteurised using ultra heat treatment technology. The main manufacturing facilities in Colac, Mulgrave, and Dandenong collectively employ over 450 staff members. At the Colac site, Bulla implemented two MTU cogeneration modules funded by an Australian Government Clean Technology grant, which now supply 80% of the frozen dairy plant’s energy requirements. This project has lowered energy expenses and enhanced environmental sustainability; previously, the Colac facility relied on 86% electricity and 11% natural gas. Bulla participates in the Australian Packaging Covenant, reflecting its commitment to recyclable packaging and minimizing environmental impact. In mid-2019, the company raised its milk solids price from $7 to $7.20 per kilogram due to intensified competition within the market. Bulla procures over one million litres of milk from upwards of 100 suppliers across Victoria.
International Exports
With annual gross revenues around $400 million, Bulla Dairy Foods is recognized as Australia’s top-selling branded cream producer. The company holds a strong international footprint in key Southeast Asian markets such as Singapore and China, where exports represent roughly five percent of yearly profits, equating to revenue between five and ten million dollars. Bulla’s frozen dairy products are distributed through Chinese convenience stores, supermarkets, and two major online food retail platforms, reaching an estimated audience of 800 million potential consumers.
Products
Bulla Dairy Foods markets its range both domestically and internationally via diverse retail outlets. Its dairy product line includes ‘Creamy Classics’ tub ice cream, ice cream sticks, ‘Double Cream’ containing 45% milk fat, tubs of pure and light cream, flavored and natural Yogurt tubs, as well as low-fat cottage cheese.
The brand appeals to health-conscious buyers by offering options that are 97% fat-free, low in sugar content, and free from artificial additives or colorants. Its “School Approved Range” is specially designed for children’s nutritional needs. Bulla provides products in various packaging sizes ranging from single-serving yogurt portions to larger family-sized packs. In April 2012, the company introduced its Dollop Cream Portions product line.
Ice cream
Bulla’s ‘Creamy Classics’ tub ice cream experienced an increase in customer purchase rates from 12.5% in 2015 to 16.6% in 2019. Although total ice cream purchase rates slightly decreased—from 32.2% of buyers selecting Bulla products in 2015 to 30.9% in 2019—the brand remains Australia’s leading choice among ice cream consumers.
In 2018, Bulla broadened its ice cream selection by launching Cinnamon Donut flavored sticks and a limited-edition Bulla Crunch variety, along with two new milkshake flavors: blue heaven and tangy pineapple.
Food safety
In July 2019, the New South Wales Food Authority issued a recall for Bulla’s ‘Ready to Decorate Ice Cream Cake Base’ because it contained undeclared soy, which could present a risk to individuals with soy allergies.
Markets
Bulla distributes its products internationally, reaching markets such as New Guinea, Fiji, China, Singapore, South Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, The Philippines, Japan, and Hong Kong.
Awards and recognition
Bulla has received numerous industry honors. In 2012, Dollop Cream Portions was awarded ‘best new foodservice product’ at the Fine Food Australia Show. The following year, Bulla achieved the grand champion dairy product title from Dairy Australia for its premium sour cream. In 2014, the company was recognised as best food producer by the Royal Agricultural Society and was also presented with a President's Medal. During 2016, Bulla’s 200mL sour cream earned the DTS Food Laboratories Award from The Dairy Industry Association of Australia, achieving a score of 19.33 out of 20, while their Fairy Bread ice cream received the Judges Choice award for creativity. That same year, Bulla’s Creme Fraiche was again honoured as grand champion dairy product by Dairy Australia. In 2018, the Creamy Classics Ice Cream Sandwich from Bulla was selected as product of the year in the Consumer Survey of Product Innovation. For both 2019 and 2020, Bulla’s ‘double cream’ product ranked among the top three finalists for the people's choice award at The Australian Grand Dairy Awards.