As the slogan goes - a product of the Cheltenham Co-Operative Dairy Company, a farmer-shareholder set up in October 1893.
I couldn't go past this building without wondering about the story behind it.
Unlike many other dairy factories that also made cheese, it produced only butter. At the time of its establishment, the directors decided that the registered brand of butter would be ‘Pakeha’ – a brand that was used exclusively for its premium and export butter.
With annual increases in production a new factory was built in 1920 at this site on Makino Road, Feilding to take advantage of the rail siding for their coal supplies, and outward butter deliveries.
The 1920-21 year saw 697 tons of butter produced at the new plant, up from 178 tons the year before. Farmers/shareholders were paid out 32.41 pence/lb of butterfat. That equates to $26.29 per kilogram in 2020 money.
In 1969 the Cheltenham Dairy Company merged to form the Manawatu Co-Operative Dairy Company, based at Longburn, and this factory closed. It is now an engineering business.
Please be careful here as the cache is right next to a surprisingly busy road. It is not really suitable for children - hence why it's only a small size cache container with not much room for swag. There is also poor parking. I would recommend parking on the factory side of the road.