The awards, which will be held at this year’s Artisan Cheese Fair in Melton Mowbray, will be open to any cheesemaker Britain producing less than 250 tonnes of cheese a year. The cheese must be commercially available.
Classes for the awards will include soft, semi-soft, hard, blue and the best cheese recently launched onto the market. Awards will also be given to the best goat’s cheese and the best ewe’s cheese.
Chairman of the Melton Mowbray Food Partnership and organiser of the Artisan Cheese Fair, Matthew O’Callaghan said: “The awards are a natural extension of the Fair. It means that small artisan producers can compete on a level playing field without the dominance of the large commercial producers which occurs in some of the cheese awards,” he said.
The fair takes place from 30 April to 1 May, with entrance costing £3. For more information, visit: artisancheesefair.co.uk
Judging for the awards will take place on Friday 29 April with the awards being presented at the Cheese Makers’ Supper on Saturday 30 April. Entry forms are available to download on the website, and must be returned by Tuesday 4 April.