Say cheese! Local creamery wins gold for its Blue
ARTISAN Cheese producer Hartington Creamery has won the Best Protected Name Cheese award and a further Gold award after judges were bowled over by its Dovedale Blue.
The company, which makes three cheeses under the former Protected Designation of Origin status, picked up the gongs at the recent Artisan Cheese Awards and Cheese Fair in Melton Mowbray.
Now known as GI status, protecting products by “Geographical Indication, Hartington Creamery’s Blue Stilton, White Stilton, and Dovedale Blue are all recognised as products with a trusted and specific link to the place they were made.
Open to any UK or Irish cheesemakers who produce less than 400 tons of Cheese a year, the awards occur over the weekend and form part of the annual cheese fair.
More than 1,000 classes of every type of cheese are judged by the top cheese buyers and experts. The two-day fair features over 50 Artisan cheese producers selling to around 7,500 people.
Despite the fierce competition at this year’s event from the other UK Protected Cheese producers, Hartington won five awards that included three golds and two bronze.
Director Diana Alcock said: “As the only female licensed Stilton maker in the world, I am extremely proud of the achievements of our small team of dedicated cheesemakers.
“Here at Hartington, we still follow the same traditional hand-made methods which we have done for generations.”
Hartington Creamery also won Gold awards for its famous Blue Stilton and Peakland White with Cracked Black Pepper and a Bronze for
Devonshire Gold, a soft blue developed with Chatsworth House and its Chocolate and Chilli cheese.
Farm and Creamery Director Robert Gosling said: “The Artisan Cheese Fair was a great shop window. From buyers of large companies to families looking for a fun day out, many people discovered what Great British cheese producers can offer.
“It was a fantastic opportunity to pitch our cheese against other great cheesemakers.
“To win such a special award after two difficult years running a business under Covid restrictions is very reassuring that people value and want to support small producers.”