CHAMPS OF CHEESE
HIGHLIGHTS LOCAL QUALITY
After judges smelled,
crumbled and tasted
their way through
almost 300 New
Zealand cheeses,
the medal winners of
the NZ Champions
of Cheese Awards
2020 have been
announced.
Run by the New
Zealand Specialist
Cheesemakers
Association
(NZSCA) for the 17th
consecutive year, Australian Master
Judge Russell Smith oversaw
judgin, working with a panel of 25
specialist judges.
NZSCA chair Neil Willman said
the judges made special note of
the quality and variety of cheese
they assessed this year. He said
changes to the way the Sabato
Farmhouse Cheese and the Milk
Test NZ Champion Cheesemaker
were judged led to more premium
quality entries. The inaugural ‘Ignite
Colleges Chefs’ Choice’ received
more than 30 different entries
representing a broad variety cheese
types.
Particularly impressive this year
was the number of cheeses
assessed for ‘Big Chill Distribution
Flavoured Cheese’ category.
Retailers report double digit growth
in flavoured cheese sales and
kiwi cheesemakers are meeting
this growing demand. Twenty six
cheeses received medals in this
category – with nine receiving
gold, eight collecting silver and
the final nine receiving bronze.
Flavours included distinctively
New Zealand combinations like;
Barrys Bay Coldsmoked Manuka
Havarti, innovations such as
Gibbston Valley’s Sheep Cumin
and global flavour favourites like;
Clevedon Buffalo Garlic and Thyme
Marinated Cheese and Meyer
Cheese Garlic & Chives.
Italian style cheeses continue their
popularity with cheese lovers and
cheesemakers alike. The quality in
the ‘Cheeselinks Fresh Italian Style
Cheese’ category was recognised
with the judges awarding 21
medals - the highest number in the
gold and silver medal categories
with eight and 10 respectively.
For the first time the judges
were looking for three Supreme
Champions. These champions
and the other ‘NZ Champions of
Cheese’ trophy winners will be
announced at a four-course gala
dinner – featuring a selection of
winning cheeses - at SkyCity
Hamilton on Wednesday 6th May
2020. NZSCA is expecting 300
guests from throughout the country.
Kiwi cheese lovers are being called
on to be part of the NZ Champions
of Cheese Awards too. Foodies are
asked to nominate their favourite
place to buy New Zealand cheese
in the 180 degrees Favourite
NZ Specialty Cheese Shopping
Experience. This award recognises
the supermarket, specialty food
store, farmers’ market or cheese
shop which provides amazing
service for those buying New
Zealand cheese. Stores which
receive the most votes will be
assessed by a specialist panel of
judges and one will be named ‘180
degrees Favourite NZ Specialty
Cheese Shopping Experience’ at
the Awards ceremony in May.
NZ Champions of
Cheese Awards 2020 -
Gold Medal Winners
Fonterra Co-operative Group
Original Cheese, Fonterra Brands
(NZ) Limited; Kāpiti Awa Blue,
Mercer Cheese; Mercer Fifty Fifty;
Mercer Cheese, New Zealand Bush
ECOLAB Blue Cheese
Barrys Bay Cheese, Barrys Bay
Peninsula Blue; Fonterra Brands (NZ)
Limited, Kāpiti Kikorangi; Fonterra
Brands (NZ) Limited, Kāpiti Kahurangi;
Mahoe Cheese, Mahoe Farmhouse Blue
CHR Hansen Soft White
Rind Cheese
Fonterra Brands (NZ) Limited, Kāpiti
Kahikatea Camembert; Thorvald, Little
River Brie; Grinning Gecko Cheese
Company, Grinning Gecko Camembert
Kiwi Labels Greek/Cypriot
Cheese
Clevedon Buffalo Ltd, Clevedon Buffalo
Feta; Fonterra Brands (NZ) Limited,
Mainland Crumbly Feta; Waimata
Cheese, Waimata Cracked Pepper
Haloumi
10 APRIL / MAY 2020