Judges sample record number of cheeses at annual Melton awards
A record 650 cheeses were judged for this year’s Artisan Cheese Awards with the class winners set to receive their trophies in Melton Mowbray on Saturday.
More than 100 producers entered their products for the event and an army of judges enjoyed sampling and rating them all in the town’s St Mary’s Church on May 15.
The presentation evening, also to be held at the church, takes place after day one of the annual Artisan Cheese Fair, at Melton’s Stockyard, on the livestock market site.
On the awards, organiser Matthew O’Callaghan said: "The awards have now become a major event in the national cheese calendar.
"Most of the major cheese retailers, wholesalers, distributors and writers attended to judge a record 650 cheese.
"The announcement of the award winners at the cheesemakers candlelit supper on Saturday will be eagerly anticipated by the 123 cheesemakers who entered their cheeses.”
Around 60 of the leading British and Irish cheesemakers will be attending this weekend’s fair to showcase some of the rarest and most sought-after cheeses and offer them to the public to sample and buy.
Leicestershire’s Sparkenhoe Red Leicester and the county’s Stilton producer Long Clawson will be there.
As well as cheese, there will also be traditional Melton Mowbray pork pies, cider, cakes, beer, chocolate, wine, charcuterie, and much more.
There is also a full programme of demonstrations and workshops.
In the food theatre, a chef/cheesemonger will demonstrate a cheese recipe and a retailer will show you how to taste cheese.
An award-winning gospel choir and other musicians will provide entertainment throughout the event, which runs from 10am to 4pm on Saturday and Sunday.
Winners of a pair of Artisan Cheese Fair tickets in the competition in last week’s Melton Times are as follows:
Charlotte Sharp, of Redwood Avenue, Melton; Dylan Pugh, of Queensway, Melton; Stephen Monk, of Melton Mowbray; Claire Loddington, of Twyford; Rebecca Scoble, of Lambert Close, Melton.
They correctly answered the question asking to name one of the five remaining dairies which produces Stilton cheese.
E-tickets will be sent to the winners by the organisers.
Go to https://www.meltonfestivals.co.uk to find out more about the Artisan Cheese Fair and how to buy tickets.