Wales’ cheesemakers were well represented among the winners at the Great British Cheese Awards (September 25th), the pinnacle of British cheesemaking. The top Welsh title, the Welsh Assembly Government sponsored Best Welsh Cheese and the Dougal Campbell Trophy was awarded to Llandyrnog Creamery for its Mild Cheddar which impressed the judges with its exceptional depth and roundness of flavour for such a young cheese.
Rural Affairs Minister, Elin Jones who presented the award, said, “I would like to congratulate Llandyrnog Creamery on their success in winning the Dougal Campbell trophy. This is a tremendous achievement which once again reflects Wales’ reputation for cheese making excellence.
“The Award also highlights how much high quality food is available here in Wales. Earlier this year I launched our Local Sourcing Action Plan which encourages us all to buy more Welsh food. There are so many benefits to buying local: from reducing food miles and supporting the local economy, to the reassurance that comes with knowing where our food comes from and how it has been produced.”
Some 884 cheeses from 189 cheesemakers – 70% of the industry - from across the UK underwent the rigorous judging process. Seventy-five Welsh cheeses were entered for the awards, with 28 medals awarded to Welsh cheesemakers.
Among the multiple Welsh winners were the Pembrokeshire Cheese Company which received ten medals, and Llandyrnog Creamery which scooped seven medals including two golds. There were gold medals too for Teifi Farmhouse Cheese’s Celtic Promise and Caws Mynydd Du’s Dragons Back.
The awards dinner was held at the National Museum of Wales on the eve of the Great British Cheese Festival (September 26/27) which, for the second year running, was held in the grounds of Cardiff Castle. Thousands of visitors attended the two-day Festival, which kicked off British Cheese Week (September 26 – October 4).
The Festival featured a whole host of master classes and demonstrations by some of Wales’ top cheesemakers as well as fun activities such as Cheese Skittles and Cheese Tossing. The marquee housing ‘Britain’s Biggest Cheese Market’ attracted large crowds eager to sample and purchase cheese from across the UK, while the ‘True Taste of Wales’ market gave visitors the opportunity to try and buy a range of delicious food and drink.
Notes to Editors
For a photograph of Llandyrnog Creamery receiving the Dougal Campbell Trophy please contact Sheila Coleman 01792 410994 / 07968 357474 or email sheila@colemanroberts.co.uk
For a full list of UK winners go to: www.thecheeseweb.com
Welsh medal winners are as follows:
Carmarthenshire Cheese Company
Llangloffan Blue (Blue) Silver
Kid Me Not
Edwinsford Blue Goats Cheese (New) Bronze
Sancler Organic
Original Smooth Natural (Fresh) Bronze
Holden Farm Dairy
Hafod (Modern British) Bronze
Teifi Farmhouse Cheese
Celtic Promise (Semi-soft) Gold
Saval (Semi-soft) Bronze
Llandyrnog Creamery
Mature Cheddar (Cheddar) Bronze
Mild Cheddar (Cheddar) Gold
Mature Organic Cheddar (Cheddar) Silver
Red Leicester (Red Leicester) Bronze
Double Gloucester (The Gloucesters) Gold
Mild Cheddar (Export) Bronze
Vintage Cheddar (Export) Bronze
Pembrokeshire Cheese Company
Organic Mature Cheddar (Cheddar) Bronze
Mild Cheddar (Cheddar) Silver
Organic Mild Cheddar (Cheddar) Bronze
Red Leicester (Red Leicester) Silver
Afron-Cleddau Mature Cheddar (Cheddar) Bronze
Mild Cheddar II (Export) Silver
Afron-Cleddau Red Leicester (Red Leicester) Gold
Afron-Cleddau Mild Cheddar (Cheddar) Silver
Mature Cheddar II (Export) Gold
Mature Cheddar I (Export) Silver
Trethowan’s Dairy
Gorwydd Caerphilly (Caerphilly) Bronze
Gorwydd Caerphilly Aged (Caerphilly) Silver
Gorwydd Caerphilly Aged (Export) Bronze
Y Cwrt Caws
Ffetys Natural (Fresh) Bronze
Caws Mynydd Du
Dragon’s Back (Modern British) Gold
Sheila Coleman
Coleman Roberts Communications
01792 410994 / 07968 357474
www.colemanroberts.co.uk