The top cheeses for 2012

The 2012 World Cheese Awards have just been held at the BBC Good Food Show in Birmingham in the UK. There were more than 2700 entries from across the world. It is the largest international cheese competition. The judging was done in three stages by over 200 judges, over one very full day, to determine the World Champion Cheese for 2012.

This year’s Champion is from Spain (for the first time in the Award’s 20 year history) and is the Manchego Do Gran Reserve – an unpasteurised ewe’s milk firm cheese which had been aged for six months. It is only produced in that specific region in Spain and is easily recognised by the zigzag pattern on it’s inedible rind. It was the top cheese out of the Awards 55 “Super Golds”.

The Best Australian Cheese is the “Oak Blue” from Berrys Creek Gourmet Cheese (from Gippsland in Victoria) and is one of the three Australian cheeses in the Super Gold group.

The other Australian Super Golds were the “Woodside Wakame” from Woodside Cheese Wrights and the “Tasmanian Heritage Red Square” from Lion Dairy and Drinks.

Australia also did well in the Gold Class with the following cheeses;

“Monet” – Woodside Cheese Wrights

“The Blue Bitch” – Woodside Cheese Wrights

“Maffra Cheddar” – Maffra Cheese Company –

“Locheilan Triple Cream Ring” – Locheilan Farmhouse Cheese

“Mossvale Blue” – Berrys Creek Gourmet Cheese