2022 Results

Britains Best Artisan Cheese

Pevensey Blue, a blue cheese made by Pevensey Cheese Company of Holden Farm in East Sussex has won Supreme Champion at this year’s Artisan Cheese Awards held in St Mary’s Church in Melton Mowbray, the home of Stilton Cheese. This brine washed blue cheese made with pasteurised milk and animal rennet is the creation of new comers to cheesemaking; Martin and Hazel Tkalez.  The couple have only been making cheese for two years.  Prior to that Martin worked for 15 years as a Cheesemonger in Neal Yard’s, London.  Some four years ago he decided that rather than just sell cheese he would like to make his own cheese and so applied for a Leader Funded grant and set about designing and building his own dairy.  Two years on and with a lot of advice and help from colleagues in the cheese world Martin and Hazel have produced an award winning stunning blue cheese.  The cheese beat off competition from almost 500 entries into this year’s awards from across the UK and Ireland.

 

One of the judges at the Awards described Pevensey Blue as a soft, creamy blue cheese with a hint of sweetness.  The Awards Ceremony was the highlight of a weekend of Cheese in Melton Mowbray with the two day Artisan Cheese Fair projected to welcome over 8,000 visitors and over 40 cheesemakers including 8 over from Ireland for the first time since Covid.  Many have reported record sales in the first day of trading.

 

TrophyCheesemakerCheese
Supreme ChampionPevensey Cheese Company LimitedPevensey Blue
Reserve Supreme ChampionCheesemakers of CanterburyAshmore Farmhouse
Best Small ProducerBluebell FallsBluebell Falls Goats Cheese
Best Micro ProducerCheese BothyWhite Laggan
Best English CheesePevensey Cheese Company LimitedPevensey Blue
Best Irish CheeseVelvet Cloud – Rockfield DairyRockfield
Best Scottish CheeseSt Andrews Farmhouse CheeseAnster
Best Welsh CheeseCosyn CymruBrefu Bach
ClassDescriptionTrophyCheesemakerCheese
Supreme ChampionPevensey Cheese Company LimitedPevensey Blue
Reserve Supreme ChampionCheesemakers of CanterburyAshmore Farmhouse
Best Small ProducerBluebell FallsBluebell Falls Goats Cheese
Best Micro ProducerCheese BothyWhite Laggan
Best English CheesePevensey Cheese Company LimitedPevensey Blue
Best Irish CheeseVelvet Cloud – Rockfield DairyRockfield
Best Scottish CheeseSt Andrews Farmhouse CheeseAnster
Best Welsh CheeseCosyn CymruBrefu Bach
1Fresh CheeseWinnerRosary AshRosary Goats Cheese Ltd
2Soft CheeseWinnerBluebell Falls Goats Cheese Original 500g logBluebell Falls
3Semi-Soft CheeseWinnerCornish YargLynher Daries Cheese Company Ltd
4Hard CheeseWinnerWhite LagganCheese Bothy
5Blue CheeseWinnerPevensey BluePevensey Cheese Company Limited
6Cow CheeseWinnerEvenlodeKing Stone Dairy
7Sheep CheeseWinnerRockfieldVelvet Cloud – Rockfield Dairy
8Goat CheeseWinnerBrightwell AshNorton & Yarrow Cheese
9Vegetarian CheeseWinnerCrozier BlueCashel Farmhouse Cheesemakers
10Organic CheeseWinnerAged GoudaConnage Highland Dairy
11Raw Milk CheeseWinnerAshmore FarmhouseCheesemakers of Canterbury
12Farmhouse CheeseWinnerSparkenhoe BlueLeicestershire Handmade Cheese Co
13Raw Milk Farmhouse CheeseWinnerSt ColmanFermoy Natural Cheese Company
14Territorial CheeseWinnerAnsterSt Andrews Farmhouse Cheese
15Protected Name CheeseWinnerDovedale Blue PDOHartington Creamery
16New Cheese CheeseWinnerPevensey BluePevensey Cheese Company Limited
17Washed Rind CheeseWinnerRebel NunFeltham’s Farm Ltd
18Smoked CheeseWinnerSmoke ‘n’ JackPadstow Cheese Company Limited
19Flavoured CheeseWinnerRosary Garlic & HerbRosary Goats Cheese Ltd
1Fresh CheeseHighly CommendedFresh Goat CurdCheese Cellar Dairy
1Fresh CheeseHighly CommendedMacroom Buffalo Ricotta 200gMacroom Buffalo Cheese Products Ltd
1Fresh CheeseHighly CommendedReduced Fat Soft CheeseYester Farm Dairies
2Soft CheeseHighly CommendedEdmund TewBlackwoods Cheese Company
2Soft CheeseHighly CommendedTunworthHampshire Cheese Company Ltd
2Soft CheeseHighly CommendedDrunken SaintSheridans
3Semi-Soft CheeseHighly CommendedNorfolk MardlerFielding Cottage
3Semi-Soft CheeseHighly CommendedDunmoreGalway Cheese
4Hard CheeseHighly CommendedLincolnshire PoacherLincolnshire Poacher
4Hard CheeseHighly CommendedYorkshire FioreOlianas Yorkshire Pecorino Cheese
5Blue CheeseHighly CommendedBurt’s BlueBurts Cheese
5Blue CheeseHighly CommendedCashel BlueCashel Farmhouse Cheesemakers
6Cow CheeseHighly CommendedWhite LagganCheese Bothy
6Cow CheeseHighly CommendedBallinvarrig CheddarHegarty’s Cheddar
7Sheep CheeseHighly CommendedYorkshire FioreOlianas Yorkshire Pecorino Cheese
7Sheep CheeseHighly CommendedFetishWhite Lake Cheese
8Goat CheeseHighly CommendedBoyne Valley BánBoyne Valley Goat Farm
8Goat CheeseHighly CommendedWensum WhiteFielding Cottage
9Vegetarian CheeseHighly CommendedBrefu bachCosyn Cymru
9Vegetarian CheeseHighly CommendedCote Hill BlueCote Hill Farm
9Vegetarian CheeseHighly CommendedWild Garlic YargLynher Daries Cheese Company Ltd
10Organic CheeseHighly CommendedBath BlueBath Soft Cheese
10Organic CheeseHighly CommendedGert LushFeltham’s Farm Ltd
11Raw Milk CheeseHighly CommendedLong Buckby BlueHamm Tunn Fine Foods
11Raw Milk CheeseHighly CommendedSt JudeSt Jude Cheese
12Farmhouse CheeseHighly CommendedLincolnshire PoacherLincolnshire Poacher
12Farmhouse CheeseHighly CommendedMontgomery’s Mature CheddarMontgomery’s Cheese
12Farmhouse CheeseHighly CommendedHebden GoatTenacres Cheese
13Raw Milk Farmhouse CheeseHighly CommendedCorra LinnErrington Cheese Ltd
13Raw Milk Farmhouse CheeseHighly CommendedMrs Kirkhams Tasty LancsMrs Kirkhams Cheese
14Territorial CheeseHighly CommendedSparkenhoe Red LeicesterLeicestershire Handmade Cheese Co
14Territorial CheeseHighly CommendedMrs Kirkhams Tasty LancsMrs Kirkhams Cheese
15Protected Name CheeseHighly CommendedSingle GloucesterGodsells Cheese
15Protected Name CheeseHighly CommendedKeen’s Extra mature CheddarKeen’s Cheddar Ltd
15Protected Name CheeseHighly CommendedSwaledale FarmhouseSwaledale Cheese Company The
16New Cheese CheeseHighly CommendedPippinFour Brothers Cheese
16New Cheese CheeseHighly CommendedKylemore Claddagh SeaweedKylemore Farmhouse Cheese
17Washed Rind CheeseHighly CommendedYarlingtonKing Stone Dairy
17Washed Rind CheeseHighly CommendedMilleensMilleens Cheese
17Washed Rind CheeseHighly CommendedBaby BaronetOld Cheese Room The
18Smoked CheeseHighly CommendedAshmore SmokedCheesemakers of Canterbury
18Smoked CheeseHighly CommendedSmoked Montgomery’s CheddarMontgomery’s Cheese
19Flavoured CheeseHighly CommendedCarrigaline Truffle CheeseCarrigaline Farmhouse Cheese
19Flavoured CheeseHighly CommendedPeakland White with Black PepperHartington Creamery

Dr Matthew O’Callaghan OBE

Organiser

07894229499

 

Britain’s Best Cheese: Ashcombe a ‘Lockdown Cheese’ is Supreme Champion at 2021 Artisan Cheese Awards.

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Trophy Winners

Awards By Cheesemaker

Gold, Silver, Bronze Awards

Britains Best Cheese

A cheese invented during lockdown has beaten off stiff competition from 600 cheeses from across the UK and Ireland to win the coveted title of Supreme Champion at this year’s Artisan Cheese Awards. The cheese also won the titles of best English Cheese, Best New Cheese, Best Farmhouse Cheese and Best Washed Rind Cheese.  The top prize also attracted £1,000 cash from sponsors The Fine Cheese Co.

Ashcombe is produced by David Jowett, one of Britain’s youngest cheesemakers, just barely 30 years old.  It’s a French Morbier style cheese which has the distinct ash layer running through the centre of the cheese.  Receiving the awards at St Mary’s Church in Melton Mowbray, famous for Stilton Cheese, David said “I wanted to support during lockdown the farmer that supplies me with my milk so created this cheese to help him use some of the milk that he would normally sell elsewhere.”

 

 

At 30, young Jowett has had a meteoric rise to fame in the cheesemaker’s world bursting on to the scene with his Rollright which again took Supreme Champion and a slew of other titles at the 2016 Artisan Cheese Awards. He had only started selling his cheese just 8 months before the event in August 2015.

New cheesemakers also did well with other awards; newly opened Balcombe Dairy (Blue Sky Cheese) which operates out of 4 containers on a farm won the Best Blue Cheese Class and Best Small Producer. Woodlands Dairy (Fresh Ewe Cheese) won Best Organic Cheese and Best Micro Producer and Homewood Cheese (Melbury) won Best Sheeps Cheese.

Traditional Dairies won their share of Awards; Montgomery’s Cheddar winning Best Hard Cheese and Joint Supreme Champion Runner-Up. Keen’s Cheddar won Best Territorial and Best PFN and Appleby’s Smoked Best Flavoured Cheese.

Popular favourites Hampshire Cheese (Wigmore – Best Soft Cheese), Village Maid (Maida Vale – Best Cow’s Cheese) and Cote Hill (Cote Hill Blue – Best Vegetarian) also featured.

The Irish sent over 155 cheeses from 31 dairies and won a slew of awards starting with Joint Supreme Champion Runner-Up for Galway and for Fermoy – both also Joint Best Irish Cheese. Galway Cheese’s ‘Galway Tom’ won Best Goat and Best Semi-Soft Cheese while Fermoy Natural Cheese (St Gall) won Best Raw Milk Cheese.

Best Scottish Cheese went to St Andrew’s Farmhouse Cheese (Anster) and Best Welsh Cheese to Cosyn Cymru for Brefu Bach.

The 600 cheeses were judged by 60 judges including buyers from Marks & Spencer, Tesco, Fine Cheese  Co, Bradbury’s, La Fromagerie, Neal’s Yard, Paxton & Whitfield…

Sponsors:  We’re very grateful to the following sponsors..

Supreme Champion – The Fine  Cheese Co
Class 3:  Hard Cheese – SMB College
Class 9:  Raw Milk Cheese – La Fromagerie
Class 11:  Farmhouse – Bradbury’s
Class 12: Territorial – Harvey & Brockless
Class 14: New Cheese – Neal’s Yard

Notes

David Jowett – David was trained in culinary arts but switched to Cheesemaking after learning the craft at Ram Hall Dairy, famous its sheep’s cheese Berkswell.  He studied Cheesemaking at the School of Artisan Food on the Welbeck Estate in Nottinghamshire. He interned in nearby Stichelton, then at Neal’s Yard and at Jasper Hill in Vermont, USA. After graduating, he returned to Paxton & Whitfield, cheesemongers to the Queen, for a period of time, and soon became cheesemaker for Gorsehill Abbey Farm in Worcestershire.  He established the King Stone Dairy in Chedworth, Gloucestershire in 2015.

Click here to read an interview with David in 2015.

Ashcombe is inspired by Morbier, a classic French cheese from the Franche-Comté, and features a striking line of wood ash running through the centre of the cheese. Ashcombe is a large, flat, disc shaped cheese, 6kg, which is carefully washed in a special brine solution to develop a bright terracotta rind. The rind is meaty and savoury, while the paste has aromas of warm milk and hay. The flavours are comforting and rich, reminding us of melted butter and fresh hazelnuts.  The cheese is aged for 2-4 months and is described as a washed rind, semi-hard pasteurised cow’s milk cheese.

Classes : There are 16 Classes which include Soft, Semi-Soft, Hard, Blue, Cow, Sheep, Goat, Vegetarian, Raw Milk, Organic, Farmhouse, Territorial, Protected Food Name, New Cheese, Washed Rind, Flavoured.

Awards: Supreme Champion, Runner-Up Supreme Champion, Best English Cheese, Best Irish Cheese, Best Scottish Cheese, Best Welsh Cheese. Best Small Producer, Best Micro Producer.

Click here for more detail on Classes