Goat’s cheese from Co. Galway named Supreme Champion at Artisan Cheese Awards

Picture credit: Martin Elliott mepics.me / Artisan Cheese Awards

A gouda-style Extra Mature Goat’s Cheese made by Killeen Farmhouse Cheese in Co. Galway, Ireland, has been named Supreme Champion at the 10th edition of the Artisan Cheese Awards. Following a record breaking 643 entries into Britain and Ireland’s largest cheese competition, the highly coveted trophy was presented during an Awards Supper at St Mary’s Church in Melton Mowbray on Saturday 23 May.

Made by Dutch-born Marion Roeleveld, one of the most distinguished cheesemakers in Ireland, Killeen Extra Mature Goat’s Cheese was originally based on a traditional gouda recipe. The cheese is made with pasteurised goat’s milk and animal rennet, and aged for between 12 and 18+ months.

Marion’s partner, Haske, founded the 50-acre goat farm in Portumna, Co. Galway in 1990, and the couple started making their first cheeses in 2004. Over the past two decades, Killeen has gone onto become one of the most highly decorated cheesemakers in Ireland, and are now making cheese from the milk of all 200 goats on the farm.

Organiser of the Artisan Cheese Awards and International Cheese Judge, Dr Matthew O’Callaghan OBE, said:

“In over 70 years of eating cheese that has to be one of the most memorable cheeses I have ever tasted. It is certainly the best goat’s cheese in the UK and Ireland. When cut it is brilliant white inside. The texture is a hard, slightly crunchy feel in the mouth. Taste is clean, slightly sweet, nutty, very pleasant and extremely moreish.”

Around the UK, the Best British Cheese trophy went to St Jude from St Jude Cheese in Wheatacre, Norfolk, the Best English Cheese was awarded to Lucky Marcel from Feltham’s Farm near Templecombe, Somerset, the Best Scottish Cheese went to Elrick Log from Errington Cheese in Carnwath, Lanarkshire, and Best Welsh Cheese was presented to Caws Teifi Cheese in Llandysuln, Ceredigion, for its Teifi Heritage. The Best Irish Cheese trophy was awarded to Templegall from Hegarty’s Cheddar in Whitechurch, Co. Cork, as the highest scoring Irish cheese below this year’s Supreme Champion.

The Artisan Cheese Awards Dinner took place during the 15th Artisan Cheese Fair in Melton Mowbray, Britain’s largest cheese festival. Judging for the Artisan Cheese Awards was conducted a week earlier on Thursday 14 May, when an 80-strong team of judges, made up of major cheese buyers, cheesemongers, experts and commentators, assessed this year’s entries at St Mary’s Church, Melton Mowbray. Each Class was judged during the morning session, when Gold, Silver and Bronze accolades were awarded. Class winners went through to the final judging round to decide this year’s Supreme Champion and Reserve Champion cheeses.

For the full list of winners, visit artisancheeseawards.com.