A young three-month aged goat's cheese whose
name means "upstart" was last night named New Zealand's top artisan
cheese.
Crescent Dairy Goats' Parvenu won the Cuisine Champion Artisan
Cheese Award at a gala dinner for the Cuisine Champions of Cheese Awards.
It's the second major success for Crescent's Jan and John
Walter, who last year won the Champion of Champion's Award with another of their
fine goat cheeses.
Based in Albany, just north of Auckland, Crescent's Jan Walter
says Parvenu got its name because "it's a bit too young and clever for its age".
Winning a major award two years in a row is "amazing", she said,
putting it down to the hands-on, personal attention given to every cheese that's
made. Crescent Dairy Goats farm just 17 goats on their property in Albany and
make just one cheese a day.
"We have total control of the whole process, from milking the
goats, selecting even the goats that we want for milking and making sure that
the milk for the cheese is as sweet as it can be," she said.
Each of their goats is lovingly named, from mother and daughter
Christie and Agatha to family group Flute, Fiddle and Viola.
Crescent Dairy Goats also won the Fonterra Champion Original
Cheese Award with its Flat White Cheese.
Newcomer to the competition, Clevedon Valley Buffalo Company,
the first producer to enter fresh buffalo milk cheese in the awards, won two top
categories for its Buffalo Ricotta - the NZ Food Safety Authority Champion New
Cheese Award and SKYCITY Champion Fresh Unripened Cheese Award.
Judges said the overall quality of entries in this year's awards
was outstanding, with 62% of the 406 cheeses winning a gold, silver or bronze
medal. "When I looked at the championship round and saw 60 or so products that
were of gold medal status, or very close to it, I was just blown away," said
Master Judge Neil Willman.
"New Zealand produces a great diversity of cheeses which is not
seen in other countries," he said. "And the overall standard of the industry is
increasing at a rapid rate."
The fifth annual Cuisine Champions of Cheese Awards were
presented at a gala dinner at Auckland's SKYCITY last night.
More than 400 entries for this year's awards were judged at
Massey University's Albany campus by 26 judges on Sunday.
The other top prize, the Taylor's Port Champion of Champions
Award, went to Fonterra Brands NZ's Ferndale Maestro Blue, made by Hospitality
Magazine Champion Cheesemaker Keven (crct) Saywell.
ENDS
Prepared on behalf of the NZ Specialist
Cheesemakers Association by Goode PR, Auckland. For further information, images
or to organise interviews with the Master Judge, winners or New Zealand
Specialist Cheesemakers Association, please contact Petra Milhaljevich on 09 480
9948, 021 509 062 or email petra@goodepr.co.nz
Editor's Note:
Master Judge Neil Willman
Profile
Australian Master Cheesemaker and Cheese Grader Neil Willman is
the new Master Judge for the 2008 Cuisine NZ Champions of Cheese Awards. Willman
is Australia's only fulltime cheese educator and trainer and has, for 26 years,
been responsible for all the cheese education and training programmes at Gilbert
Chandler College, Australia's only dedicated dairy college.
He has been an international judge at the World Championship
Cheese Contest and the British Cheese Awards, as well as at previous Cuisine NZ
Champions of Cheese Awards. Willman has also been chief judge at the Australian
Grand Dairy Awards, the Royal Sydney Easter Show, CheeseFest in Adelaide, and
the Dairy Industry Association of Australia National Dairy Product
Competition.
Neil will be in New Zealand until Saturday 8 March and is
available for interviews.
Cuisine NZ Champion Cheese Awards 2008 winners:
**Winners can't be contacted until after the embargo is
lifted.
Winners
Taylor's Port Champion of Champions Award
Ferndale Maestro
Blue - Fonterra Brands NZ
Cuisine Champion Artisan Cheese
Parvenu - Crescent Dairy
Goats
SKYCITY Champion Fresh Unripened Cheese Award
Buffalo
Ricotta - Clevedon Valley Buffalo Company
NZ Cheese School Champion Feta Cheese Award
Ornelle Chevre
Salade - Puhoi Valley Cheese
Innovative Packaging Soft White Rind Cheese Award
Te Mata
Goats Milk Brie - Te Mata Cheese Co
NZSCA Champion Goat Cheese Award
Parvenu - Crescent Dairy
Goats
Massey University Champion Sheep Cheese Award
Neudorf Ewes
Milk Cheese - Neudorf Dairy
New World Champion Washed Rind Cheese Award
Kapiti Ramara
- Fonterra Brands NZ
Ecolab Champion Blue Cheese Award
Ferndale Maestro Blue -
Fonterra Brands NZ
Foodtown Woolworths Champion European Style Cheese
Award
Kapiti NZ Parmesan - Fonterra Brands NZ
Foodtown Woolworths Champion Dutch Style Cheese
Award
Mercer Mature Gouda - Mercer Cheese
NZ Food Safety Authority Champion New Cheese Award
Buffalo
Ricotta - Clevedon Valley Buffalo Company
Fonterra Champion Original Cheese Award
Flat White -
Crescent Dairy Goats
Hally Labels Champion Flavoured Cheese Award
Fenugreek
Gouda - Meyer Gouda Cheese
Hally Labels Champion Cheddar Cheese Award
Fonterra
Lichfield Cheddar - Fonterra Lichfield
New Zealand Trade & Enterprise Champion Export Cheese
Award
Kapiti Kikorangi - Fonterra Brands NZ
New World Champion Favourite Cheese Award
Kapiti Kikorangi
- Fonterra Brands NZ
Curious Design Cheese Packaging Award
Kingsmeade Artisan
Cheese - Kingsmeade
Curds & Whey Champion Hobbyist Cheese
Fresh Goat
Cheese (Coulommier style)
Katherine Mowbray Champion Hobbyist Cheesemaker
Award
Venetia Hill
Hospitality Magazine Champion Cheesemaker
Keven Saywell,
cheesemaker at Fonterra Eltham |
