30 awards for Creameries’ new cheeses
WALES’ oldest dairy farmers’ co-operative is celebrating its most successful awards season ever after their cheeses scooped 30 gongs.
South Caernarfon Creameries came home to the Llŷn Peninsula with 10 prizes from the prestigious International Cheese and Dairy Awards in Nantwich, the largest cheese show in the world, featuring cheeses from 29 different countries.
Among the winners was their Dragon brand half-fat and reducedfat cheddars, which won gold and silver prizes respectively, while their Welsh red cheddar scooped both gold and silver.
It comes hot on the heels of a major success for SCC at the Royal Welsh Show, where the cooperative won 20 awards.
The Dragon brand reduced-fat cheese was hailed both Supreme Cheese, making it the best in show at the Royal Welsh, and Best Welsh cheese, making it the best cheese made in Wales.
It follows an exciting re-brand of the much-loved range of Dragon cheeses made by SCC, which is this year celebrating its 80th anniversary and employs 130 staff at its base near Pwllheli on the Llŷn Peninsula.
All of SCC’s Dragon range of cheeses, ranging from mild to vintage, are made using milk sourced 100% from its Welsh farming members, and every block can be traced back to the cow.
“This has been a fantastic show season for everyone at South Caernarfon Creameries,” said SCC managing director Alan Wyn Jones. “To bring home 10 awards from Nantwich and 20 from the Royal Welsh, including Supreme Cheese and Best Welsh Cheese, is a wonderful achievement which we are very proud of.
“It’s the ultimate accolade to have this recognition from two of the industry’s top shows and it’s testament to the quality of the milk produced by our farming members. It is also a seal of approval for our cheesemakers who continually work hard to refine and improve our products.
“In particular, we have put a lot of effort into improving the reduced fat cheddar and we are delighted the judges agreed we have a wonderful cheese which I hope everyone will try.”
A new special-occasion cheese made with Penderyn whisky was launched simultaneously at the Royal Welsh and Nantwich Show, in celebration of the co-operative’s 80th anniversary. Made with vintage Dragon cheddar, aged in the Llechwedd slate caverns of Blaenau Ffestiniog, it is then infused with the award-winning Penderyn whisky.
Dragon brand cheeses made by South Caernarfon Creameries range from Mild Cheddar to a full-bodied Vintage Special Reserve Cheddar.
Also launched at the shows was new packaging for the Dragon range. A map on the packaging shows customers the area where their cheese is sourced, and a slogan reads: ’Welsh milk from Welsh cows fed in the lush green pastures of Wales’.