Success at British Cheese Awards highlights Milk Link’s commitment to speciatlity cheese

Milk Link, the UKs leading farmer-owned dairy co-operative and largest cheese manufacturer, won 17 awards for the quality of its cheeses at the British Cheese Awards this weekend.  The awards included its Reeces Creamery winning the title of Best British Territorial Cheese for its Acid Lancashire cheese.

The British Cheese Awards Ceremony, which took place at the National Museum in Cardiff, Wales is the focal point of British Cheese Week (25th September 3rd October 2010) and serves to highlight Britains superb cheese-making heritage.

The Awards confirmed Milk Links position as one of the leading producers of British speciality cheeses. Reeces Creamerys Acid Lancashire cheese won the prize for Best British Territorial (non-Cheddar) as well as a gold award in the Crumbly Block Lancashire category.  The Acid Lancashire is the most crumbly of the regional cheeses produced at Reeces Creamery with a more pronounced flavour and a hint of creaminess.  Whilst Milk Links Tuxford & Tebbutt Creamery also won a gold prize for its Shropshire Blue Cheese – a blue veined cheese with complex flavours and spicy notes.

Milk Links Taw Valley Creamery in Devon also excelled, winning gold and silver awards for its Double Gloucester as well as a further seven awards for its Cheddar and Red Leicester cheeses.

The results delighted the Chief Executive of Milk Link, Neil Kennedy who said: Were proud to be championing British cheeses this British Cheese Week. Our expert cheese makers deserve this recognition for their flair, dedication and skills which deliver the really exceptional taste and quality of our cheeses.

Here at Milk Link we continue to strive to produce great British dairy products. The acknowledgement here at the British Cheese Awards for the excellence of our speciality cheese business makes me and everyone involved with Milk Link very proud.

Reeces Creamery produces finest quality award-winning Cheshire, Caerphilly, Lancashire, Wensleydale and other British Territorial cheeses such as Derby, all hand made by experienced cheese makers using traditional methods and family values. The Tuxford & Tebbutt Creamery in Melton Mowbray, Lancashire, the home of the award-winning Shropshire Blue cheese, is one of only seven creameries able to produce Blue Stilton Cheese – often referred to as the King of English Cheeses.

Additional information on the awards

• Milk Link received silver awards for its Mild Cheddar; Mature Cheddar I; Mature Cheddar II; Extra Mature Cheddar; Vintage Cheddar; and Double Gloucester II cheeses.
• Eight bronze prizes were awarded to Milk Link for Mild Cheddar II; Lockerbie Mature Coloured Cheddar; Cheshire; Red Leicester I; Wensleydale; Churnton; Reduced fat Cheddar; and Stilton PDO.

Milk Link

• Milk Link is one of the UKs leading integrated dairy businesses, owned 100% by British dairy farmers. It manufactures a complete portfolio of dairy products including cheese, long life milk, creams, flavoured milks, and milk powders supplying most major multiples and the food service sector.
• Milk Link exists to provide long-term security for its dairy farmer Members.
• Milk Link is the largest cheese producer in the UK supplying Cheddar, Stilton and British regional cheeses to the retail, food service and ingredients sectors.  It employs over 1,000 people at six cheese and dairy processing facilities at its Taw Valley Creamery, Devon; Tuxford & Tebbutt Creamery, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire; Reeces Creamery, Malpas, Cheshire; Llandyrnog Creamery, North Wales; and Lockerbie Creamery, South West Scotland, plus a large, modern consumer packing facility in Oswestry, Shropshire.
• Milk Link has a number of leading dairy brands including Tickler Extra Mature Cheddar, Moo Organic, Lockerbie and Cadog and other brands under licence: Flora Pro Activ milk and Mars flavoured milk drinks.