A GOUDA-style extra mature goat’s cheese made by Killeen Farmhouse Cheese in Co Galway, Ireland, was named Supreme Champion at the 10th annual Artisan Cheese Awards, which were held in Melton Mowbray.
There were a record breaking 643 entries into Britain and Ireland’s largest cheese competition, and the coveted top trophy was presented during an awards supper at St Mary’s Church in Melton Mowbray. Other top awards went to Lucky Marcel from Feltham’s Farm near Wincanton, and White Lake Cheese at Bagborough near Shepton Mallet took the Best Sheep Cheese trophy for its Pavé Cobble.
Made by Dutch-born Marion Roeleveld, one of the most distinguished cheesemakers in Ireland, Killeen Extra Mature Goat’s Cheese was originally based on a traditional gouda recipe. The cheese is made with pasteurised goat’s milk and animal rennet, and aged for between 12 and 18-plus months. Marion’s partner, Haske, founded the 50-acre goat farm in Portumna, Co Galway in 1990, and the couple started making their first cheeses in 2004. Over the past two decades, Killeen has become one of the most highly decorated cheesemakers in Ireland, and are now making cheese from the milk of all 200 goats on the farm.
International cheese judge and organiser of the Artisan Cheese Awards, Dr Matthew O’Callaghan said: “In over 70 years of eating cheese that has to be one of the most memorable cheeses I have ever tasted. It is certainly the best goat’s cheese in the UK and Ireland. When cut it is brilliant white inside. The texture is a hard, slightly crunchy feel in the mouth. Taste is clean, slightly sweet, nutty, very pleasant and extremely moreish.”
The Artisan Cheese Awards dinner took place during the 15th Artisan Cheese Fair in Melton Mowbray, Britain’s largest cheese festival. Judging for the awards took place a week earlier, when an 80-strong team of judges, including leading cheese buyers, cheesemongers, experts and commentators, assessed thes entries at St Mary’s Church, Melton Mowbray. Each Class was judged during the morning session, when Gold, Silver and Bronze accolades were awarded. Class winners went through to the final judging round to decide this year’s Supreme Champion and Reserve Champion, which was Raedwald from Fen Farm Dairy; this cheese also won Best New Cheese and Best Washed Rind.
Other winners included: Best Micro Producer Cheese, another Irish entry, Dingle Goat’s Cheese; Best Specialist Cheesemakers Association Cheese, Poacher 50, Lincolnshire Poacher Cheese; Best Young Cheesemaker, Jake Goldstein of Primrose Creamery; Best British Cheese, St Jude, St Jude Cheese; Best English Cheese, Lucky Marcel, Feltham’s Farm; Best Irish Cheese, Templegall, Hegarty’s Cheese; Best Scottish Cheese, Elrick Log, Errington Cheese.
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Certified organic cheesemaker, Feltham’s Farm won both the Best English Cheese and Best Cow Cheese trophies for its newest cheese, Lucky Marcel. This small, lactic-style cheese with a beautiful vermiculated rind scored a perfect 100/100 during the judging.
A homage to two of co-founders Marcus Fergusson and Penny Nagle’s favourite French styles, St Felicien and St Marcellin, Lucky Marcel was first developed in 2024. When young, the yeast-ripened cheese is firm, lactic and fresh, but it ages quickly, breaking down to become softer and more liquid as each day passes, with the flavour profile intensifying along the way.
Feltham’s Farm won a total of eight prizes across categories including Organic, Cow, Soft and Fresh. Gold accolades were awarded to the Queso Fresco inspired fresh cheese, La Fresca Margarita, the soft, blue, ale-washed cheese, Rebel Nun, and the high scoring Lucky Marcel. La Fresca Margarita also collected two Silver prizes, while Gert Lush – Feltham’s Farm’s West Country take on a Camembert – secured two Bronze awards.
Penny Nagle said: “The judges really responded to the delicate simplicity of Lucky Marcel, and we are delighted that they are also recognising how simple cheese is often the hardest to make really well – this win is a tribute to Shaun and the cheesemaking team here, as well as our single source milk partners Bruton Dairy and Godminster.”
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Somerset-based White Lake Cheese has come away from this year’s Artisan Cheese Awards as one of the competition’s biggest winners, taking two category winner trophies, three category runner-up prizes and 27 other awards. This incredible performance from Roger Longman and his team has made White Lake Cheese the most decorated producer at this year’s awards.
White Lake was presented with the Best Sheep Cheese trophy for its Pavé Cobble, an ash coated cheese with a truncated pyramid shape, made with local unpasteurised ewe’s milk. Roger also collected the Best Affinage Cheese trophy for Sheep Rustler, a semi-hard sheep’s milk cheese, which is aged at Bagborough Farm in Pylle for three months. There were Highly Commended awards for Goat Curd in the Fresh class, Rachel in the Semi-Soft class and Sheep Rustler in the Sheep class.
There were also nine Gold awards for White Lake cheeses including Driftwood, English Pecorino, Eve, Pavé Cobble, Rachel, Sheep Rustler, Tor and Tuppence; and 12 Silvers and six Bronzes.
Pictured: Penny Nagle, co-founder of Feltham’s Farm, with the Best English Cheese trophy, alongside Matthew O’Callaghan, founder and organiser of the Artisan Cheese Awards; White Lake Cheese founder, Roger Longman, with apprentice Mark Janzen. Photographs by Martin Elliott.