The big cheese
Arla Foods' AOC Unpasteurised Camembert cheese received the Reserve Supreme Champion award - one of the top two titles - at the annual World Cheese Awards. The prestigious competition is run by the UK Cheese Guild during the Spirit of Christmas Exhibition held at Olympia from 6 - 9 November.
This year Arla's speciality cheese company, H T Webb, entered over 50 different cheeses in 30 out of the 54 classes and received 8 gold - including Crottin de Chavignol in the hard or semi-hard goats milk cheese class and Vacherin Mont D'or in the rind washed cheese class - 8 silver and 12 bronze medals.
"We received a grand total of 29 medals at this year's event making it our most successful year ever," said product management director, Paul Heasman.
"It's a tough competition with the best cheeses in the world on show. It's therefore a great honour to receive recognition for our products," he added.
Not only did H.T Webb provide cheeses for the competition but they also supplied two of the judges. Paul and managing director Ib Mortensen were responsible for tasting and judging around a dozen different cheeses each.
"Unfortunately we're not allowed to pass comment on our own cheeses but it's quite interesting and enjoyable tasting different cheeses from around the world," Paul admitted.
Arla Foods UK plc is home to some of the UK’s leading dairy brands including Cravendale, Lurpak and Anchor. Processing approximately two billion litres of milk a year Arla continues to be one of the UK’s leading dairy companies and a supplier of fresh liquid milk and cream to the top seven retailers.
Over 2,500 daily deliveries are made directly to stores nationwide and Arla brands can be found across the dairy category. As well as the leader of the butter, spreads and margarine sector, and a major supplier of other added value products including flavoured milk and cheese, Arla continues to build working relationships with Arla Foods Milk Partnership, a unique group of dairy farmers, which supplies around 90 per cent of Arla's total milk requirements.
Behind this leading business is a team of circa 2,800 people across the UK located at our dairies, distribution centres and head office.