Milk Link Records Strong Performance At World’s Largest Cheese Show

Milk Link, the UKs largest cheese manufacturer and leading dairy cooperative, has won an outstanding 48 awards at the prestigious Nantwich International Cheese Show. Leading the roll of honour was Milk Links Lockerbie Creamery, in Dumfriesshire, Scotland which was awarded the Reserve Supreme Champion (UK) trophy for its Mature Cheddar and the Danisco Trophy for Best Vegetarian Cheddar.

The Lockerbie Creamery has had a long history of making award winning cheese and butter for over fifty years. The winning of the Reserve Supreme Champion title is a further boost for the creamery which last month unveiled a new distinctive look, for its Lockerbie Cheddar brand. The Lockerbie Cheddar brand combines traditional flavours with modern cheese making and has proved a huge hit with consumers in Scotland since its original launch in 2007. The new packaging highlights Lockerbies unique flavour, with it being a cheese graded to be both sweet and creamy but also one with a wee bit of bite which is so important for a good Cheddar.

In addition to Lockerbies gold, a further ten top prizes were won by Milk Links creameries at the show: Taw Valley Creamery, in North Tawton, Devon, won five including the DSM Trophy for Best Single Vintage Cheddar; The Christian Hanson Trophy for its Double Gloucester; the Cryovac Award for Best Cheese with Health Benefits; and further gold awards for its Red Leicester and Organic Cheddar. Reeces Creamery in Malpas, Cheshire, won the Daresbury Cup in the Champion Farmhouse Coloured Cheshire, and two golds for its traditional Caerphilly and Cheshire cheeses; and Tuxford & Tebbutt Creamery in Leicestershire won the Cooper Thornhill Trophy for Best Vegetarian Cheese and a further gold award for its mature Blue Stilton.

Milk Link went on to win a further five silver prizes, 22 bronze prizes and 10 very highly commended awards. The companys Organic Cheddar was a particular hit with the judges, winning awards across the spectrum – a gold, silver and bronze award.

Commenting on this latest set of results, Neil Kennedy, Chief Executive of Milk Link said: We are absolutely thrilled that the quality of our cheeses has been recognised at the highly regarded Nantwich International Cheese Show, especially as Milk Links products were in competition with 2,655 other cheeses from over 30 countries. Awards wins, such as the Reserve Supreme Champion trophy for our Lockerbie Creamery, demonstrate Milk Links dedication to product quality and consistency.

Of course, we could not enjoy any of this success without the expertise of our dedicated workforce.

Milk Link produces a range of branded cheeses and butters, including Tickler, the fabulous extra-mature cheddar produced in the heart of Devon; The Red One, the really remarkable Red Leicester; Lockerbie Cheddar and Butter, unique products with a special kick and a wee bit of bite; the Cadog range of bilingually-branded cheeses; and Moo Milk, the extended shelf life milk.

The company manufactures over 20 varieties of cheddars, Blue Stiltons and British regional cheeses for the retail, food service and ingredients sectors and employs over 1,000 staff across five cheese and dairy processing facilities and its consumer packing facility at Oswestry, Shropshire.