Money needs to be raised somehow, so to get to the bottom of it, the Otago Daily Times unrolls the cheesy truth of the South’s signature snack.
Prices vary from fundraiser to fundraiser. However, they seem high across the board, with one Dunedin fundraiser selling 10 rolls for $10 and another in Maniototo offering three dozen for $28.
King’s High School first XV manager Darin Smith said costs had gone up, but people were still prepared to pay for cheese rolls.
He said cheese had not increased by too much, and making more than 30,000 cheese rolls meant the higher costs could be spread across the many thousands of units.
Bread had risen in price in the past year from $1.39 a loaf to to $2.
"But we are very lucky we have some very good supporters who will find ways to give us money and cover our costs," he said.
The team raised the price for three dozen from $15 to $17.50 this year, but it had little effect on sales.
"No-one complained to us about the price, people love them.
"There is nothing better than on a cold day getting a few in the oven and having them for lunch."
Cheese rolls could be quite profitable and were a great fundraiser for teams, but the benefits were not all about making money.
"From a team perspective it is great to get all the boys together, working hard and doing something which is going to help the team," he said.
He has been involved in the efforts since 2015 and said he did not want to think how many cheese rolls he had made.
"I couldn’t look at myself in the mirror if we stopped making them.
"I’m fully aware if we did not do things like cheese rolls then some kids would not be able to play sport."
The Otago Girls’ High School rowing team also makes cheese rolls, which are proving as popular as ever.
A team spokesman said costs had gone up, cheese nearly doubling in price since the team last sold cheese rolls in 2018.
The team could still make a decent profit on $20 for three dozen — the same price as 2018.
It had increased the price for one dozen but most people bought three dozen.
The fundraiser had ended up selling twice as many as in 2018, he said.
The Rope and Twine co-owner Joy Jones said the Dunedin business had felt the increasing price of cheese and might soon be forced to raise the price of its cheese rolls by 50 cents.
Her artisan cheese rolls were much larger than the standard size and cost $5 for one, $9.50 for two or $48 for a dozen.
It was also the recipe that won her the New Zealand International Science Festival Ultimate Southern Cheese Roll Competition in 2010 and 2012.
The price of a bag of cheese had gone up by $10 recently and it was becoming difficult to retain a profit on the rolls despite high sales.
"We still sell about 100 a week."
The business had been considering a price increase for a while, but she was sure customers would still come for the products regardless.
