Of these 44 awards, Fonterra’s Stanhope site won nine for its cheese, including trophies for highest scoring vintage, mild and semi-matured cheddar cheeses, as well as two golds for its cheddar and mozzarella, and four silvers for its cheddar, pizza shred and Parmesan cheese varieties.
Fonterra northern regional operations manager Steve Taylor said the awards confirmed the calibre of Fonterra’s dairy foods made in Stanhope and the quality of milk supplied by farmers in northern Victoria.
“We’ve got the best dairy know-how in the business, and it’s fantastic that our skilled teams have been recognised for their expert craft and the quality cheese they produce,” Mr Taylor said.
“Stanhope is known as the town of the tastiest cheese, and we’re really proud of the great cheese we make right here, which is in the fridges of Australians right around the country with our Perfect Italiano culinary brand.
“Congratulations to our people who strive to maintain the highest quality dairy, and our dedicated farmers who supply us with the best milk for the job.”
The winners were announced at the Awards of Excellence Gala Dinner at the Plaza Ballroom in Melbourne earlier this month.
Chief judge Janos Kaldy said 1032 products from around Australia were entered in 111 classes, vying for the coveted trophies, as well as gold and silver medals.
“The competition is based on technical merit, with 21 dairy industry experts judging in panels of three,” he said.
The competition includes the full gamut of dairy products, across bovine and non-bovine.
Full results of both competitions, along with more information, is available from: https://diaa.asn.au