Golden Cenarth from multi-award-winning Caws Cenarth stole the show at the British Cheese Awards and headed a night of awards for Welsh cheese producers by taking the ultimate prize – the Supreme Champion Award.
Caws Cenarth’s cheese also went on to win the Welsh Assembly Government sponsored Best Welsh Award and Douglas Campbell Trophy along with the Best Semi-Soft Cheese title at the British Cheese Awards, which were held at the National Museum of Wales in Cardiff as part of the Great British Cheese Festival.
“I am absolutely thrilled,” said cheesemaker Carwyn Adams of Caws Cenarth, “there are a lot of high profile UK cheese makers who have won this award and this puts us well and truly on the British cheese making map.
“This Supreme award not only raises the profile of our cheese but helps draw attention to the Welsh cheese industry as a whole.”
Carwyn’s parents Thelma and Gwynfor started Caws Cenarth at their farm a quarter of a century ago, and Carwyn has carried on the tradition of award-winning cheesemaking with numerous accolades including several Wales the True Taste Awards.
Also among the medal winners at the awards was Teifi Farmhouse Cheese, a previous holder of the Supreme Champion title, which scooped two Gold Medals for its Celtic Promise and Saval cheeses.
Caws Cenarth and Teifi Farmhouse Cheese are members of Teifi Valley Cheese Producers the five-strong group of True Taste award-winning West Wales cheesemakers who held their official launch at the Great British Cheese Festival (September 24-25), which was held in Cardiff Castle for the third year running, attracting a record 9,000 visitors.
There were medals too for Abergavenny Fine Foods, the Blaenafon Cheddar Company, Carmarthenshire Cheese Company, Llandyrnog Creamery, Pembrokeshire Cheese Company, Trethowan’s Dairy, and South Caernarfon Creameries.
Wales’ Rural Affairs Minister, Elin Jones said: “I’m delighted the efforts and excellence of the Welsh cheese industry have been rightly acknowledged, and I’d like to congratulate all the Welsh cheese producers, and Caws Cenarth in particular, on their outstanding performance at the British Cheese Awards.”
BRITISH CHEESE AWARDS 2010 WELSH WINNERS
Supreme Champion
Golden Cenarth, Caws Cenarth
Best Welsh & the Douglas Campbell Trophy
Golden Cenarth, Caws Cenarth
Best Semi-Soft Cheese
Golden Cenarth, Caws Cenarth
Fresh
(Cheeseboard Cheeses)
Pant-ys-gawn Organic goat’s cheese – Abergavenny Fine Foods (Silver)
Semi-Soft
(Rind Washed)
Celtic Promise – Teifi Farmhouse Cheese (Gold)
Saval – Teifi Farmhouse Cheese (Gold)
Golden Cenarth – Caws Cenarth (Gold)
Cheddar
(Mild Block)
Mild Cheddar – Llandyrnog Creamery (Silver)
(Extra Mature Block)
Pembrokeshire Ex Mature Cheddar – Pembrokeshire Cheese Company (Gold)
Vintage Cheddar – Llandyrnog Creamery (Silver)
Caerphilly
(Traditional)
Gorwydd Caerphilly Aged – Trethowan’s Dairy Farm (Silver)
(Block)
Caerphilly – South Caernarfon Creameries (Gold)
Blue
(Modern Blues)
Perl Las Organic – Caws Cenarth (Bronze)
Flavour Added
(Smoked Cheddar)
Smoked Cheddar – South Caernarfon Creameries (Bronze)
New Cheeses
(Soft White)
Carmarthenshire Goats – Carmarthenshire Cheese Company (Silver)
(Flavoured)
Apple Charlotte – Blaenafon Cheddar Company (Bronze)
Export Cheese
(Hard – Cheddar Mature)
Mature Cheddar (E) – South Caernarfon Creameries (Bronze)
Pembrokeshire Mature Cheddar (E) – Pembrokeshire Cheese Company (Bronze)
(Hard – Cheddar Extra Mature)
Pembrokeshire Ex Mature Cheddar (E) – Pembrokeshire Cheese Company (Silver)
(Hard – Other Territorials)
Gorwydd Caerphilly Aged (E) – Trethowan’s Dairy Farm (Silver)
(Blue – Other)
Perl Las Organic (E) – Caws Cenarth (Bronze)