British dairy co-operative First Milk has picked up 22 medals and four major trophies at this year’s International Cheese and Dairy Awards — the world’s largest cheese show.
The farmer-owned group was recognised across a wide range of categories for its hard cheeses, collecting nine gold, eight silver, and five bronze awards.
Each category is limited to just one medal per class, with popular styles like Cheddar drawing up to 40 entries — making the wins all the more notable.
Among the top accolades were the Brian Eddy Award for Best Home International English Cheddar, awarded for the first time this year, and the South Caernarfon Creameries Trophy for Best Welsh Cheese of Any Variety, which the co-op retained.
The award-winning cheeses ranged from vintage and mild Cheddars to Double Gloucester and Red Leicester, highlighting the group’s broad production capabilities.
Products under First Milk’s Golden Hooves brand — made using regenerative farming practices — were also recognised, earning three medals. Its Golden Hooves salted butter, a newer product in the range, picked up an award on its debut.
BV Dairy, which joined the First Milk group in 2022, also earned medals for its reduced fat Greek-style yoghurt and full-fat soft cheese.
First Milk’s customer quality manager, Jack Eade, said the results reflected the team’s hard work and the high-quality milk produced by its members.
He said: “It’s an outstanding achievement to have won so many accolades at the world’s largest cheese show, particularly doing it across such a wide range of recipes and cheese profiles. It’s testimony to our people and the quality of milk our members produce.”
