3 days ago
Ornua products see wins at international dairy competition
Irish dairy product producer Ornua, which makes the Kerrygold butter brand, has seen a number of wins at an international competition for cheese and dairy products.
The International Cheese and Dairy Awards, which took place in Staffordshire in England, featured some 3,750 entries from various countries.
According to Ornua, the competition is the world's largest cheese and dairy competition, and was judged by "leading international industry experts".
The Irish dairy business said it won 23 awards in total, including four "major trophies", six gold awards, six silver awards, and seven bronze awards.
Ornua's Vintage Cheddar, made by Tirlán at its Ballyragget plant in Co. Kilkenny, won the DSM Trophy for the Best Single Vintage Creamery/Block Cheddar.
Other awards were presented to Ornua for cheese supplied by Carbery, Dairygold and Tirlán's plant in Co. Wexford.
Ornua said these wins "demonstrate the range and supreme quality of Irish cheese and expertise of Ornua's member co-ops".
The business' Pilgrims Choice cheddar brand - the second-most popular cheddar brand in the UK according to Ornua - won seven awards, including three gold awards, three silver awards, and one bronze award.
It also won three "major trophies" for its Extra Mature Cheddar. These awards were for Reserve Champion Overseas, Champion Overseas Cheddar, and Best Irish Cheddar.
The Pilgrims Choice "Inclusions" range won a number of awards for its blended chesses, including in the Best Additive Cheese category, in which three different products from the range won the gold, silver and bronze awards.
Apart from the award wins for cheese products, Ornua's flagship product, Kerrygold, won five awards.
Kerrygold Unsalted Butter received a gold award, while the 'Sweet Spreadable' range won a number of awards, including two silver awards for on product in the dairy/butter spread category and the flavoured butter category.
Another Kerrygold 'Sweet Spreadable' product won two bronze medals, also in the dairy/butter spread and flavoured butter category.
