Double Triumph

Double Gloucester cheese scoops double triumph

South Caernarfon Creameries is celebrating after our Double Gloucester cheese has scooped a double triumph winning the gold award and crowned the best cheese in Wales at the 2021 Virtual Cheese Awards.

The prestigious awards ceremony was hosted by TV and radio food broadcaster and all-round local artisan food champion Nigel Barden. The best cheesemakers from across the UK were competing and the 13-strong judging panel included MasterChef winner Dhruv Baker; founder of the Academy of Cheese, Tracey Colley; and Marks and Spencer cheese buyer Chris Dawson.

The Virtual Cheese Awards competition was launched for the first-time last year after the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic to promote and celebrate the best of British cheese and give the industry a boost in a time of great need. In 2020 the Virtual Cheese Awards were the only ones to take place, as agricultural shows, food festivals and similar events across the country were cancelled due to Covid lockdown restrictions.

Despite having been organised quickly, the 2020 Awards attracted more than 300 entries and were a huge success. All profits were donated to support cheesemakers and farming charities. They were so well received that it was decided to repeat the awards this year and they had even more entries across 40 categories.

The twin honours are an endorsement of the mastery of cheese production. Our Double Gloucester is a young cheese that has sublime buttery, mellow note which particularly appealed to the expert judges.

Nick Beadman, Head of Commercial said: “We are particularly pleased with the Double Gloucester and our faith in it has now been rewarded by such an esteemed panel of independent judges making it a double winner. We are all delighted. This is a real testament to the amount of hard work we put into producing the best quality cheeses we can. It is a dazzling start to the cheese awards season. For us to win two top prizes from one of the most important judging panels in the industry is a coup for everyone who works here and for all our farmer members.”

The Virtual Cheese accolades are a welcome addition to the Company's trophy cabinet of successes over the years which includes Nantwich International Cheese Awards, the British Cheese Awards, World Cheese Awards and Global Cheese Awards to name but a few. One of the key ingredients in SCC’s regular successes is the fact that we consistently maintain the excellence of our products, putting ourselves at the forefront of cheese production in Britain. This award is recognition from a panel of distinguished experts that we are getting it right.

Nick added: “Everyone who put their all into organising this event both last year and in spring 2021 deserves praise for their professionalism and for the way they have helped raise awareness of some fantastic British cheeses. The virtual format of the awards has been so well received that the industry is likely to continue with them even when we are hopefully able to put the pandemic crisis behind us.”