Highland Fine Cheeses takes on the world
HIGHLAND Fine Cheeses, maker of popular brands such as Caboc and Strathdon Blue, has won a clutch of awards in two highly regarded world competitions – the 2022 International Cheese and Dairy Awards (ICDA), and the Global Cheese Awards (GCA).
Judges at the 125-year-old former event, which attracts around 5500 entries and 40,000 visitors, decided that the company’s Blue Murder, a bold, strongly flavoured cheese made with cows’ milk from the Highlands, was worthy of a ‘gold’ award.
Another HFC product, Fat Cow, a Gruyere-style semi hard, washed rind cheese, was deemed worthy of a ‘bronze’ award.
At the latter event, held annually since 1861, Fat Cow topped the rind washed hard cheese category with a ‘gold’ accolade, while Blue Murder won the ‘silver’ award.
Owner Rory Stone, whose parents established the near£2 million turnover company in the 1950s, said: “The ICDA and the GCA are amongst the world’s biggest platforms to champion world class cheese and dairy products, and are watched closely by retailers and food service companies all over the world, so it is a huge honour to be awarded these accolades.”
The awards follow a series of major steps forward for the 14-strong business. From earlier this summer, its Morangie Brie has been promoted by M&S at its outlets across London.
In addition, the company’s recently re-affirmed relationship with dairy product giant, Rowcliffe, has led to Rory’s cheeses featuring in Waitrose selection boxes sold from its deli counters across the UK. Other major buyers include Co-op, Aldi and Lidl.