The Swiss-style cows’ milk cheese, which is produced at Portumna, Galway, took the trophy after more than 500 cheeses were judged in a single day at The Bath & West Showground on Wednesday 5 October, as the awards returned following a two-year hiatus.
Trophies were awarded to all category and national winners during the British & Irish Cheese Awards
Dinner on the evening of Wednesday 5 October, with the Supreme Champion award going to Ashcombe by King Stone Dairy in Gloucestershire and the Reserve Champion cup going to St.Jude by St.Jude Cheese in Suffolk.
Organised by The Royal Bath & West Society, the 27th edition of the awards saw over 500 entries judged in a single day, as the competition took place during The Dairy Show for the very first time. Among this year’s entries were 20 brand new cheeses that have been created since the awards last took place, representing the sudden boom in creativity that was witnessed within the cheese industry, following huge losses in business as the hospitality sector was closed down during successive lockdowns.
A 50-strong judging panel made up of cheesemakers, cheesemongers, cheese experts, buyers and commentators assessed entries in their individual classes during the morning session, awarding Bronze, Silver and Gold accolades to deserving products from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales. During the second round, all Gold award winners from each category were judged alongside one another to identify the category winners, before all category winners were judged during the final round to find this year’s Supreme Champion and Reserve Champion.