A goat’s cheese from Dorset has won the final of Tesco’s annual Cheese Challenge to find the next generation of Britain’s small cheese producers.
David Rowland, senior cheese buying manager at Tesco, announced at an awards ceremony held in London that Ashley Chase Estates, from Dorset, was the overall winning producer and confirmed that its Goats Cheddar with Cranberries has secured a national listing with Tesco.
Shortlisted cheeses from four categories were judged by a panel of industry experts and the category results were:
• Soft & fresh and semi soft and washed rinded cheese – Butlers Farmhouse Guernsey Gold
• Hard cheese – Isle of Man Vintage Cheddar
• Flavoured cheese – Ashley Chase Goats Cheddar with Cranberries
• Blue cheese – Durham Cow Cheese Company’s Durham Blue
Each of the category-winning producers receives a listing within their region’s stores and over the next few months they will have access to Tesco’s regional team to help them bring the new cheese to market.
This is in addition to the overall winner securing a national listing.
The aim is that all new cheeses will be available to the general public
by late autumn 2009.
The Tesco Cheese Challenge is dedicated to finding great new British Cheeses and giving smaller producers the opportunity to take their product to a wider audience.
Rowland said: “Every year we get a fantastic level of entries and it is truly satisfying when you see the winning cheese go in-store and consumers tasting cheeses that they wouldn’t have tried without the support of the challenge.
“Previous winners are still available in Tesco and this is testament to the challenge’s philosophy of establishing long, successful, relationships between Tesco and the producers.”
