UK | Fonterra had impressive wins at the International Cheese and Dairy Awards (ICDA), the world’s biggest platform to champion world-class producers of cheese and dairy products.
This year's event saw Fonterra's Brands, including NZMP, Anchor Food Professionals and Duck River Premium Butter, shine on the global stage.
Cathy Lang, Master Cheesemaker at the Eltham Bridge Street site, said that Fonterra had a fantastic presence at the competition.
“The blocks were presented beautifully on the judging tables. There was a lot of interest in our delicious pasture-fed cheddars, and feedback from existing buyers was very positive,” said Lang.
Fonterra's entries received numerous accolades, including gold medals for NZMP Unsalted Pastry butter, two varieties of processed cheese, and Fonterra Oceania’s Duck River butter, all made across New Zealand and Australia factories.
"New Zealand dairy trade to the UK has a special history. The UK was our largest market until the 1970s and supplied the UK’s favourite butter for over a century,” said Alexander Hume, Business Development Manager, UK.
“Following the NZ-UK Free Trade Agreement, which entered force last May, we have rebuilt historic relationships and developed new routes to market. The great news for Fonterra is that British buyers and consumers love having New Zealand dairy available again, with over 10,000mt of product contracted in the first financial year post-FTA."
Across the cheddar categories, Fonterra won gold for Best New Zealand Cheese and Best Australian Cheese. Of the 26 medals claimed at the awards, ten were gold, seven were silver, and nine were bronze.
Fonterra Cheese Technical Expert Craig Honore said seeing the cheeses perform so well was excellent, particularly the mature cheddars with three-dimensional flavours that stand out from the rest of the competition.
Fonterra’s Collingwood Street, Hautapu, Herenveen, Kauri, Lichfield, Morrinsville, Stanhope, Stirling, Te Rapa, Wynyard, and Spreyton sites all took away awards for their cheeses. This continued success at the ICDA has been a testament to the world-class dairy that its farmer shareholders and manufacturing teams work hard to produce daily.
