The British Cheese Awards is the ‘Oscars’ of the cheese world and on Thursday September 9th 2010 some for the World’s most influential food critics, journalists, food producers and restaurateurs will be descending on the pretty Cotswold village of Kingham to put British cheese through its paces. Judges include Xanthe Clay of the Telegraph, Charles Campion food critic and food writer and Clare Hargreaves of Country File Magazine who will be judging alongside buyers from the big Supermarkets, cheesemakers and independent retailers.

Although the judges can award as many gold, silver or bronze medals in a class overall, unlike the A level results, only 35% of entries will win a Gold, Silver or Bronze medal and of those only the gold will be put forward for BEST OF CATEGORY. It is the toughest of all the competitions for cheese and perhaps that is why almost 50% more cheesemakers enter the Awards than any other competition.

It also means that those who win awards see a significant rise in their sales. At a time when many small businesses are struggling the British Cheese Awards provide producers with a real chance to highlight their unique cheeses.

Each judging partnership will taste around 40 – 60 cheeses during the day. With 190 cheesemakers putting forward nearly 900 cheeses, representing over 70% of the market, it is one helluva Ploughman’s Lunch for the judges to decide which cheeses deserve to win a medal.

Of the cheeses entered so far there are just 6 being made from Buffalo milk, 136 made with raw milk and 91 are organic.

For the first year ever the Export Cheese category will be judged separately on September 24th at the Great British Cheese Festival held at Cardiff Castle on the morning of the Awards ceremony where the winners will be announced at the National Museum Cardiff. These will then form the back drop along with past and present Award winners in the ‘Hall of Champions’ part of the festival and sponsored by champions of British cheese Marks & Spencer.

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