The Irish Cheese Awards 2012
The Irish Cheese Awards at SHOP is firmly established as the major event in Ireland’s cheese industry, and celebrates the excellence and variety now available in Ireland.
This is the only competition dedicated entirely to Irish Cheese and delivers a buying audience from specialist delicatessen outlets to multiple retailers and hoteliers to restaurateurs. The competition provides a showcase for visitors and professionals to view and sample first-hand the tremendous variety of cheeses now available in Ireland.
These awards enable Irish cheese producers to showcase their products to a national audience and be in with the chance to be crowned “the big cheese” in one of 15 categories.
The Irish Cheese Awards 2012 is held with the support and assistance of Cáis and Sheridans Cheesemongers.
Winners announced:
We would like to thank all the cheese makers for their entries into the Irish Cheese Awards 2012, the quality was higher this year than previous, and made for a great competition. We would also like to thank the judges for their time, and especially our supporters Sheridans Cheesemongers and Cáis.
And the winners are:
Class 1 - Creamery Mature Cheddar
Silver: Fivemiletown Creamery Mature Cheddar
Bronze: Wexford Mature
Class 2 – CREAMERY CHEDDAR
Bronze: Ardagh Medium White Cheddar (Aldi)
Class 3 – SMOKED CHEESE
Gold: Ardrahan Smoked
Silver: Gubbeen Smoked Extra Mature
Bronze: Knockanore Oakwood Smoked
Class 5 – FRESH CHEESE FLAVOUR ADDED
Bronze: Fivemiletown Goat Log with Mustard
Class 6 – NEW CHEESE
Silver: Milleens Cead
Bronze: St. Tola Ash
Class 7 – SHEEPS MILK CHEESE
Silver: Knockdrinna Meadow
Bronze: Knockalara Sheep’s Cheese
Class 8 – FLAVOUR ADDED CHEESE
Gold: Dilliskus
Bronze: Coolea Cumin Seed
Class 9 – HARD MATURE CHEESE
Gold: Coolea Vintage
Silver: Glebe Brethan
Bronze: Mossfield
Class 10 – HARD CHEESE
Gold: Kilcummin
Silver: St. Gall
Bronze: Beenosbee
Class 11 – BLOOMY RIND
Gold: Cooleeney
Bronze: Wicklow Ban
Class 12 – SEMI-SOFT
Gold: Milleens Dote
Silver: Ardrahan
Bronze: Milleens ‘O’
Class 13 – BLUE CHEESE
Gold: Crozier Blue
Silver: Cashel Blue
Class 14 – GOATS MILK CHEESE
Gold: St. Tola Log
Silver: Kilree
Bronze: Gortnamona
Class 15 – GOATS MILK CHEESE - MATURE
Gold: Killeen Goat Mature
Silver: Killeen Goat
Bronze: Knockdrinna Gold
This year's Supreme Cheese and winner of the Sheila Broderick Memorial Trophy:
Maja Binder from Dingle Peninsula Cheese, Co Kerry - Kilcummin
The Categories:
Class 1 – CREAMERY MATURE CHEDDAR (aged more than 9 months)
Class 2 – CREAMERY CHEDDAR (aged less than 9 months)
Class 3 – SMOKED CHEESE (any milk)
Class 4 – FRESH CHEESE (any milk)
Class 5 – FRESH CHEESE FLAVOUR ADDED (any milk)
Class 6 – NEW CHEESE (cheese on the market for less than 18 months)
Class 7 – SHEEPS MILK CHEESE
Class 8 – FLAVOUR ADDED CHEESE (with added flavourings, any milk)
Class 9 – HARD MATURE CHEESE (over 6 months, hard & semi hard cheeses, any milk)
Class 10 – HARD CHEESE (under 6 months hard & semi hard cheeses, any milk)
Class 11 – BLOOMY RIND (white moulded cheeses, soft & semi soft, any milk)
Class 12 – SEMI-SOFT (surface washed ripened cheeses, soft & semi soft, any milk)
Class 13 – BLUE CHEESE (blue veined cheeses, any milk)
Class 14 – GOATS MILK CHEESE (aged under 2 months)
Class 15 – GOATS MILK CHEESE (aged 2 months and over)
The judging
The competition will be judged by an acknowledged panel of experts on Monday 24th September 2012. Entries will be graded out of 100 based on the following criteria:
Criteria | Points Available |
Flavour & Aroma | 45 |
Body & Texture | 40 |
Colour | 10 |
Overall Appearance | 5 |
When judging is completed the winners will be contacted and asked to collect their awards at the presentation ceremony on Tuesday 25th September 2012 (time to be confirmed).
The Judges:
We are delighted to announce our line up of judges for this year's awards, and would like to thank them for their participation. They are:
Ross Lewis, Head Chef at Chapter One Restaurant
Patricia Michelson, Proprietor of La Fromagerie, London and Author of “The Cheese Room”
Val Manning, Proprietor Mannings Emporium, Ballylicky, West Cork
Rozanne Stevens, Chef and broadcaster
Gillian Nelis, Food Journalist at the Sunday Business Post
Donal Flynn, Cheese & Deli Manager, Fallon & Byrne
The Prizes
Class winners will receive a certificate plus Gold Winner artwork for stickers to include on their packaging highlighting their winning status, PLUS post-show promotion naming the winners in key industry titles. Silver and Bronze prize winners will receive a certificate of their achievement.
The Sheila Broderick Memorial Trophy
A supreme champion will be selected from the Gold Winner cheeses from each Class, and will be presented with The Sheila Broderick Memorial Trophy (click for more details).
Delivery options
Cheeses must be delivered by 12pm Friday 21 September 2012. You can deliver your entry to:
Sheridans Cheesemongers
Virginia Road Station, Pottlereagh,
Co. Meath.
Alternatively you may deliver your entry on Monday 24 September between 9am and 11am ONLY to:
Irish Cheese Awards
c/o The SHOP 2012 Organiser’s Office
Simmonscourt
RDS (The Royal Dublin Society)
Merrion Road
Ballsbridge
Dublin 4
Cheeses must arrive to the above address by 11am on Monday 24 September! Unfortunately if cheeses are not delivered by this time, they will not be judged and the entry fee cannot be returned.
Approximately three weeks prior to the event a set of code numbers and labels for each entry will be sent to you. These labels should be attached to the appropriate cheese before delivery.
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