Instructions for Sending Entries – UK
Judging of the Awards is Wednesday July 14th. Cheese must arrive the day before.
You do not need to attend the Cheese Fair to enter the Awards.
Delivery of Cheese
You can either deliver the cheese yourself or arrange a courier. Royal Mail also do an overnight delivery. Make sure your cheese arrives on Tuesday July 13th April at St Mary’s Church in Melton Mowbray. The church will be manned on that day from 9am to 4pm for the reception of cheeses. Given that it is a church it will not be able to receive cheese before that date. Address to Artisan Cheese Awards. St Mary’s Church, Church Street, Melton Mowbray, LE13 0PW. You can put my name and phone number as well. Matthew O’Callaghan 07894 229499.
Packing the Cheese
Please make sure you use the most appropriate method of sending your entries. For soft, semi-soft and temperature sensitive cheeses these should be sent so as to arrive at a temperature of no greater than 8 degrees. If in doubt contact your local Environmental Health Officer or the Specialist Cheesemakers Association.
You must send a separate sample of cheese for each entry even if the cheese is entered for more than one class. So for a cheese entered for 2 classes we must have two samples of cheese wrapped individually and labelled separately. They can of course be sent in the same box.
For judging we need a sample of around 600g for each entry, this is to allow sufficient quantity for judges to appreciate your cheese and in case your cheese wins its class and is selected to be judged for the Supreme Champion. Please don’t send more than 1kg of cheese as it will only be wasted. For smaller cheeses please send sufficient cheese to be able to be judged twice eg 3 samples of 100g each.
Labelling the Cheese
You will soon be sent your labels. The label will give an entry number and the Class. Eg 12/329 means the cheese is entered into Class 12 and is Entry Number 329 on our register. Check these carefully as if there is a mistake your cheese will be entered for the wrong class and may be disqualified. Let us know immediately if there is a mistake in the class. If there is insufficient time then make your own label by using the entry number provided but changing the class to the correct class.
Wrap the entry and then label the cheese with the entry number we send you which also identifies the class for which the cheese is being entered. Make sure you attach the right label to the right cheese. Each cheese should be wrapped and labelled separately. You can use your own packing material even if it contains logos as the cheese will be unpacked and placed on a plate with its identifying label.
Now pack all your entries securely for delivery. Stick a label of where to send your entries (St Mary’s Church) onto the outside of the package addressed to.
Artisan Cheese Awards, St Mary’s Church, Church Street, Melton Mowbray LE13 0PW.
You can put my name/phone number as well. Matthew O’Callaghan 07894 229499.
Also stick a label with your name and address on the outside of the package. This lets us know where the entries have come from.
If sending more than one package please indicate on each package the total number of packages being sent. For example if you are sending three packages, then they should be labelled 1/3, 2/3 3/3.
Judging and Results
Judging for the Artisan Cheese Awards will start at 11am on Wednesday 14th July in St Mary’s Church. You are welcome to watch the judging. Entries must not arrive on this day – as we won’t have time to unpack them, and enter them for judging.
We hope to send the results of the judging by the following weekend at the latest. You will be sent an email with the results so there is no need to contact us for them.
The awards will be announced and presented at the Cheesemakers Supper in St Mary’s Church on Saturday evening 17th July at around 8pm. The dinner starts around 7pm but we will meet for drinks from 6pm beforehand. We will expect winners of classes that are being sponsored to attend the supper. Not all classes are sponsored unfortunately. Sponsors have generously provided funding for the awards and it is disappointing for them if the winner does not attend the awards and in the longer term it reduces our ability to get sponsorship for following years.
Winners of a class will receive a ‘silver’ cup, rosette and certificate. Winners of Gold, Silver and Bronze Awards will receive a certificate. All winners will be able to purchase stickers to put on their cheeses from ‘Inkreadible’. Details later.
If you are not exhibiting at the Cheese Fair (only £12 a day), and wish to attend the supper then you should let us know immediately (and any dietary requirements) so we can modify the catering arrangements. The cost is £12 per person