Wales’ cheesemakers were well represented among the winners at the Great British Cheese Awards.
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. It 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).
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.
The marquee housing ‘Britain’s Biggest Cheese Market’ attracted large crowds eager to sample and purchase cheese from across the UK. The ‘True Taste of Wales’ market gave visitors the opportunity to taste and buy a range of food and drink.
