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Adrian Walcroft has been crowned the cheese making champion of the country. He runs the Cartwheel Creamery with wife Jill. (file photo)
A well-loved boutique Manawatū cheesemaker took out three trophies at the annual New Zealand Champion of Cheese Awards in Hamilton last night.
The Pohangina Valley-based cheesemaker Adrian Walcroft won three coveted trophies at the ceremony.
Walcroft was named champion cheesemaker of this year, a top professional cheesemaking accolade by Milktest.
The champion cheesemaker award is selected from three different styles of cheese from Walcroft before a special pannel of judges, who judge each entrant’s best three cheeses.
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Warwick Smith/Stuff
Walcroft runs cartwheel Creamery with his wife Jill in Pohangine Valley. (File photo)
The judges called Walcroft’s cheese “true to style”, “beautifully made” and all with “lovely lingering flavours”.
The small boutique business also received the champion of champions (Boutique) trophy and the champion soft-ripened cheese, both for Cartwheel Creamery’s Opiki Ma cheese.
Opiki Ma is a soft white mould cheese, traditionally called a camembert, with a hint of mushroom flavours.
This was the 20th annual cheese awards.
Master judge Jason Tarrant said looking back on the cheesemaking industry, it’s “heartwarming” to see how much it has evolved.
“It’s exciting for our industry to see so many new cheeses, and it bodes well for the future that there’s so much innovation and new product development.”
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This year’s cheese awards was the 20th time they have been held. (file photo)
Walcroft runs Cartwheel Creamery with his wife Jill, having started the business in 2015 after being inspired by a cheese in France.
Originally the couple sold their cheese at local farmers markets but with the pandemic, they are now also selling online.
Cartwheel Creamery have previously won several awards, including three sliver medals in 2016 for their cheeses at the NZ Champions of Cheese Awards for their feta, washed rind cheese ‘coppermine’ and garlic halloumi.
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