King Island Dairy wins big at the Sydney Royal Cheese and Dairy Produce Show

March 4, 2012 - PRLog -- Black Label Cloth Matured Cheddar wins big at the Sydney Royal Cheese and Dairy Produce Show

Media release
March 2012

In a field of fantastic entries, King Island Dairy achieved two awards at this year’s Sydney Royal Cheese and Dairy Produce Show.

The Black Label Cloth Matured Cheddar impressed the judges, winning the Australian Cheeseboard Perpetual Trophy, the Royal Agriculture Society of NSW most prestigious cheese award and the Champion Cheddar Cheese award.

The cheese is judged on flavour, aroma, texture and presentation, harnessing talents from a number of judges including international guest judge and third-generation French affineur Herve Mons, to determine the best performers.  

The Swiss-born Head Cheesemaker, Ueli Berger and team at King Island Dairy were humbled by the prestigious awards.

“We are humbled by the two awards and it is testament to the team’s passion for making specialty cheese”.  

“The team and I draw from the natural attributes of King Island in our cheeses and it is special when these aspects are recognised”.

“Because of the island’s isolation there is a passion and dedication in the community to showcase what we are capable of, to the world”.

The craftsmanship involved in producing Black Label Cloth Matured Cheddar works its way into the flavours and aromas to produce a collection of quality ingredients, moulded by years of experience in the processes.

The distinctive orange and white mould on the Black Label Cloth Matured cheddar is the fingerprint of each wheel. Made in the spring when rich milk is in abundance, the cheese uses a special blend of four cultures created exclusively by the cheese making team. To achieve the drier cheddar style of this cheese it is stirred vigorously while being heated to reduce moisture. Then the dry stirring process begins.

After maturing for nine months hand selected cheeses are wrapped in cloth and left on open shelves to mature for another four months in a cool dark room, with an environment similar to a dry cave. This controlled environment allows the development of flavours, unique to King Island thanks to the wild yeasts which also enhance the visual appearance of each cheese.

This is a firm close textured cheese which depending on its age has a delicate to rich flavour. On the nose this cheddar gives earthy aromas. On the palate its distinct fruity notes are the signature of cheddar from King Island Dairy.

The complexity of the King Island Dairy Black Label range comes from the area’s distinctive terroir, a combination of micro-climate, soils, topography and the use of unique cultures which are then blended into the rich King Island milk.
Over 6,000 Friesian and Jersey cows are free to graze on pristine, wind-swept pastures all year round to produce some of the richest and sweetest milk in the world – and this milk is exactly the reason why King Island Dairy is internationally recognised year after year for its award-winning cheeses.

King Island Dairy Black Label cheeses are available exclusively across Australia through fine delicatessens, restaurants and hotels.

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