Gafr Las named Best Welsh Cheese at British Cheese Awards

Bryngaer Goats in Carmarthenshire has landed the Best Welsh Cheese trophy at the British Cheese Awards 2024, taking one of this year’s top honours with Gafr Las, a soft blue goat’s cheese that is matured for around one month to achieve a subtle, medium blue flavour. Held at the Bath & West Showground on Friday 22 March, the 28th British Cheese Awards assessed over 600 entries from across the UK and Ireland, before welcoming cheese lovers into the judging arena throughout the new Bath & West Food & Drink Festival.

All trophies were presented during the British Cheese Awards Dinner, with Snowdrop by Cote Hill in Lincolnshire taking the Supreme Champion trophy and Cashel Blue from Cashel Farmhouse Cheesemakers named Reserve Champion, as well as Best Irish Cheese. Best Scottish Cheese went to Minger from Highland Fine Cheeses and Best English Cheese was awarded to Tor from White Lake Cheese.

Katie Head from Bryngaer Goats commented: “I am so pleased to have been awarded Best Welsh Cheese for my blue goat’s cheese, Gafr Las. Bryngaer Goats was born from my passion for making something from scratch and my love of goats. I wanted to produce local cheeses made in small batches with individuality. It was just three years ago when I got my first goats, learnt to milk, and finally made cheese. I was stunned to receive the award after only starting the business last year. Thank you to everyone who has helped me, particularly fellow cheesemakers, my lovely customers and my very patient family.”

Organised by The Royal Bath & West Society, the British Cheese Awards saw a 63-strong judging panel made up of cheesemakers, cheesemongers, cheese experts, buyers and commentators assessing entries in their individual classes during the morning session, awarding Bronze, Silver and Gold accolades. During the second round, all Gold award winners from each category were judged alongside one another to identify the category winners, before all category winners were judged in the final round to find this year’s Supreme Champion and Reserve Champion.

Hosted for the first time by the new Bath & West Food & Drink Festival, the British Cheese Awards invited festival visitors to sample some of this year’s entries over the course of the weekend and to cast their votes in the People’s Choice Award.