Got a favourite British cheese? Yeah, me too. In fact, a couple of my all-time favourite cheeses are produced here in Britain. Now cheese lovers across the UK can nominate our choices for best British cheese in the new British Cheese Awards.
The awards aim to celebrate the best of British cheese produced and distributed by independent cheesemakers and retailers and to bring together a community of fine food lovers to nominate and vote for their favourite British cheeses and discover the best cheese shops in the UK.
Artisan cheese producers and retailers can enter directly – or be nominated by the general public – by midnight on 19 June 2016. Nominations can be in any of seven categories: hard, blue, soft, semi-soft and fresh cheeses, and overall best artistan cheese producer and speciality cheese retailer. You can nominate as many cheeses in as many different categories as you like. In July, a shortlist of finalists will be compiled followed by specialists judging by a panel of experts. A final awards ceremony will be held in London at the end of October.
The Great British Cheese Awards is organised by Great British Chefs and crispbread maker, Peter’s Yard. Among the confirmed judges for the expert tastings are Brian Turner (Chef Restaurateur and President of the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts), Chantelle Nicholson (Group Operations Director for Marcus Wareing Restaurants & Head Chef at Tredwells by Marcus Wareing), and Fiona Beckett (food and drink journalist).
A launch party for the awards was held at La Fromagerie in Marylebone, as fine a place as any to sample an excellent of British cheeses. I swung by and chomped some cheese indeed! Choosing a top choice for Britain’s big cheese will be a tough but yummy endeavour.
Find out more at greatbritishcheeseawards.com.
To nominate your favourite independent cheesemaker go to greatbritishchefs.com/cheese-awards/nominations/public-nominations.
La Fromagerie is located at 2-6 Moxon Street, W1U 4EW (there’s a shop in Highbury too). Visit online at lafromagerie.co.uk.
