Former British Cheese Board (BCB) Secretary Nigel White received the BCB Nantwich Show Cheese Industry Award today at The Nantwich Show in recognition of his invaluable contribution to the UK dairy industry.
Nigel, who recently stepped down as Secretary of both the British Cheese Board and the Stilton Cheese Makers' Association, began his dairy career in 1971 at the Milk Marketing Board. In 1996 he was appointed Secretary of the British Cheese Board, overseeing and leading in all matters concerning marketing and promotion to celebrate great British cheeses. During his tenure he also acted as the spokesperson for the organisation.
Dr Judith Bryans, Chief Executive of Dairy UK, said: “Nigel has dedicated his entire career to promoting our great British cheeses – his commitment has been unfaltering over the years. I am delighted that Nigel is being acknowledged for his dedication to the British cheese industry, he is a very worthy recipient.
“Over the years the BCB has done a tremendous job in promoting British cheese. Its incorporation into Dairy UK demonstrates the unswerving commitment across the industry to maximise the promotion of our tasty, versatile and nutritious home-grown cheeses.
“This summer we launched our successful ‘Making a Difference to Summer Eating’ campaign to demonstrate the diverse ways cheese can be used to make our salads more nutritious. Throughout autumn and winter we will be carrying out two more campaigns – we have a great story to tell about our great British cheese and we won’t hold back in telling it.”
On presenting Nigel with his award, celebrity chef Peter Sidwell said: “Over the course of a 44 year long career, Nigel has been a passionate champion of British cheese. I was delighted to hand out this award to a great cheese enthusiast on behalf of the cheese industry.”
Award-winner, Former BCB Secretary Nigel White said: “I am absolutely thrilled to be the recipient of this year’s Cheese Industry Award. After dedicating my career to promoting and protecting the British cheese industry, it is a true honour to be recognised today by my peers. Britain produces some of the finest cheeses in the world and it is an industry I am extremely proud to be a part of.”
Bruce Macdonald, Chairman of the International Cheese Awards, added: “It’s great to see Nigel recognised for his lifetime commitment to British cheese. As we have seen today at the Nantwich Show, our cheese industry is one of the best in the world and it is an industry the UK can be extremely proud of.”
The award was given to Nigel at the Nantwich Show, the largest international cheese show, on Tuesday 28th July.
