Long Clawson Dairy staff celebrate top international award

Staff and managers at Long Clawson Dairy are celebrating scooping the top award at a prestigious competition ahead of thousands of other cheeses from across the world.
Long Clawson Dairy staff celebrate success at the International Cheese and Dairy AwardsLong Clawson Dairy staff celebrate success at the International Cheese and Dairy Awards
Long Clawson Dairy staff celebrate success at the International Cheese and Dairy Awards

The success for the business, which is one of the leading producers of Stilton cheese using milk from dozens of local farms, came at the International Cheese and Dairy Awards.

Long Clawson Dairy’s Shropshire Blue was judged to be the UK Champion at the event, held at the Staffordshire Showground, and it then came out on top for the Supreme Champion title after going head-to-head with the Overseas Champion, from Dutch producer, Freisland Campina.

It was quite an achievement with more than 4,000 cheeses having been entered from the UK and abroad.

Long Clawson Dairy staff celebrate success at the International Cheese and Dairy AwardsLong Clawson Dairy staff celebrate success at the International Cheese and Dairy Awards
Long Clawson Dairy staff celebrate success at the International Cheese and Dairy Awards

Bill Mathieson, managing director of Long Clawson Dairy, told the Melton Times: “We’re delighted that our small farming cooperative, where the

craft and care of our master cheesemakers is so important to us, was recognised through our delicious Shropshire Blue entry.

“We’re still in high spirits after our win and are busy making space in our awards cabinet for the Supreme Champion trophy."

The awards represents the world’s biggest platform to champion world class producers of cheese and dairy products.

Long Clawson Dairy staff celebrate success at the International Cheese and Dairy AwardsLong Clawson Dairy staff celebrate success at the International Cheese and Dairy Awards
Long Clawson Dairy staff celebrate success at the International Cheese and Dairy Awards

Winning one of these awards means being part of an elite group and a 125-year-old tradition of the very best in class in the competition.

Success here also brings high profile recognition by UK retailers and on the international stage as well as increased consumer sales.

Long Clawson Dairy entered nine classes in total and in each of them the company won at least either a Gold or a Silver Medal.

There was a Silver for its Rutland Red, which is a traditionally-made Red Leicester cheese – cloth bound, buttered and matured for at least six months.

The dairy took a Gold for its White Stilton, which is a crumbly British white cheese and very different in flavour to it’s Blue counterpart.

There were more celebrations when judges awarded them Golds in three Blue Stilton categories and they also won the category for Shropshire Blue.

All the gold award winners in the competition then went into the finals to determine the UK Champion and Long Clawson Dairy’s Shropshire Blue won that.