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FT368
THE COUNTRY’S
FINEST CHEESE
NAMED
Two gouda cheeses made by family-owned cheese
companies have taken the top honours at the annual
New Zealand Champions of Cheese Awards.
Meyer Cheese Goats
Milk Gouda was
named Countdown
Champion of Champions
(Commercial); and Mahoe Farmhouse
Cheese, Cumin Gouda was awarded
Puhoi Valley Champion of Champions
(Boutique Cheese Award).
These trophies were among
26 announced at the 2019 NZ
Champions of Cheese Awards
evening.
Organised by the New Zealand
Specialist Cheesemakers Association
(NZSCA), the NZ Champions of
Cheese Awards has been run since
2003. A total of 223 gold, silver
and bronze medal winners were
announced in March, after judging
at the AUT School of Hospitality
& Tourism in February. Judging
was again under the guidance of
Australian Master Cheese Judge,
Russell Smith.
Russell reflected on the results saying
the awards for Dutch-style cheeses
reflect the quality of these cheeses in
New Zealand.
“Kiwis are fortunate to have a handful
of brilliant cheesemakers here making
these types of cheeses. I judge
across the world and Dutch-style
cheeses made in New Zealand are as
good as anywhere in the world.”
Meyer Cheese Goats
Milk Gouda
Russell Smith said: “It doesn’t come
any better than this. This is a cheese
you never want to finish - it’s just
stunning. It’s superbly made and
offers beautiful sweet, nutty flavours”.
Made with 100% goats milk at the
Meyer Gouda Farm and cheese
factory, just out of Hamilton, this
sweet, creamy cheese was also
named Champion Goat Cheese at
the 2019 NZ Champions of Cheese
Awards.
Meyer Cheese is a fully-fledged
family affair. After being established
in Waikato in 1976 by Fieke and
Ben Meyer, the next generation are
at the helm today. Son, Miel took
over as general manager in 2007
when Ben and Fieke retired. In 2011,
eldest son Geert returned from The
Netherlands to take on the role of
head cheesemaker for the company.
Geert also collected a trophy at the
Awards when he was named Milk
Test NZ Champion Cheesemaker
– the second year in a row he has
won the title. Meyer cheeses are
widely available at supermarkets and
specialty retailers throughout New
Zealand.
Mahoe Farmhouse
Cheese, Cumin Gouda
Made to a traditional Dutch recipe,
which adds the cumin seeds to the
curd. After three to six months of
ripening the refreshing lemon zing of
the cumin flavours the whole wheel.
According to Master Judge Russell
Smith, Mahoe Farmhouse Cheese,
Cumin Gouda “is an exceptional
cheese.”
Anna and Bob Rosevear and their
family have been making Mahoe
cheese in the Bay of Islands since
1986. Son Tim takes care of the 60
Fresian cross-bred cows whose milk
goes straight from the milking shed to
the cheesery next door and is crafted
into cheese by sons Jesse and
Jake who work alongside a Dutch
cheesemaker. Mahoe Cumin Gouda
is available from the Mahoe Cheese
Farm Shop on the farm in Oromahoe
Bay and also from selected retailers
across the country.
NEWS
24 JUNE 2019
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