First Milk, the British Dairy Cooperative, won 22 medals and four major trophies at this year’s International Cheese and Dairy Awards – the world’s largest cheese show.
The farmer-owned group was recognized in a wide range of hard cheese categories, attracting nine gold, eight silver and five bronze awards.
Each category is limited to only one medal per class, with popular styles like Cheddar painting up to 40 entries, making the victory even more noteworthy.
Among the top accolades were the Brian Eddy Award from Best Home International English Cheddar, first awarded this year, and the South Canarvon Cream Leez Trophy of the best Welsh cheese held by the co-op.
The award-winning cheese highlights the group’s wide range of production capabilities, ranging from vintage and mild cheddar to twice the Gloucester and Red Leicester.
The products under First Milk’s Golden Hooves brand are made using regenerative farming practices, but have won three medals. The new product in that range, Golden Hoove’s salted butter won an award in its debut.
BV Dairy, who joined the first milk group in 2022, won a medal for reducing fat Greek-style yogurt and full-fat soft cheese.
Jack Eade, customer quality manager at First Milk, said the results reflect the hard work of the team and the high quality milk produced by the members.
He said: “It’s a remarkable achievement that we have won so many acclaim at the world’s largest cheese show, especially with such a wide range of recipes and cheese profiles. It’s a testament to the quality of milk produced by our people and our members.”
