Awards success for Milklink at the Frome Agricultural Show

– SCOOPING 28 INDIVIDUAL AWARDS AND STURMINSTER NEWTON PERPETUAL CUP FOR HIGHEST NUMBER OF POINTS IN SHOW –

Milk Link, the UKs leading farmer-owned dairy co-operative and largest cheese manufacturer, excelled at the Frome Agricultural & Cheese Show, with its Taw Valley Creamery being awarded the Sturminster Newton Perpetual Cup for gaining more points than any other competitor in the show.  Overall, Milk Links Creameries continued their recent winning streak, collecting an outstanding 28 individual awards, including 12 gold prizes.

Milk Links Taw Valley Creamery scooped an amazing haul of 20 awards, including eight gold prizes. Gold prizes were awarded for excellence in the following categories: Medium Cheddar (UK); Mild Cheddar; Medium Cheddar; Best English Cheddar; Organic Cheddar; Sliced Cheese; David Brewer Salver for the Best Presented Cheese and Best Childrens Cheese Judged by Children. The Taw Valley Creamery also won a further four silver awards in the Mild Cheddar (UK); Finest Mature Cheddar; Best West Country Cheese and Organic Cheddar classes.

Milk Links other Creameries also excelled, with Llandyrnog Creamery getting the top prizes in the Extra Mature Cheddar and Vintage Cheddar (UK) categories and a silver prize for Medium Cheddar. The Tuxford & Tebbutt Creamery in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire won three awards for the quality of its Stilton, winning the gold prize for two Stilton Halves and the gold and silver awards in the Whole Blue Stilton category. Lockerbie Creamery also won a bronze award for its Salted Butter.

Commenting on the results, the Chief Executive of Milk Link Neil Kennedy said: Once again this year our expert cheese makers have been recognised for their commitment to going the extra mile to deliver products of exceptional taste and quality.

The acknowledgement here at Frome Agricultural & Cheese Show for the excellence of our Taw Valley Creamery, as well as Tuxford & Tebbutt, Llandyrnog, and Lockerbie Creameries makes me and everyone involved with Milk Link very proud.

Milk Link produces a range of branded cheeses and butters, including Tickler, a fabulous extra-mature Cheddar produced in the heart of Devon; Lockerbie Cheddar and butter, and the Cadog range of Welsh cheeses. The company also manufactures over 20 varieties of Cheddars, blue Stiltons and British regional cheeses for the retail, food service and ingredients sectors.

Additional information on the awards

• Milk Links Taw Valley Creamery also received eight bronze awards in the following categories: Mild Cheddar (UK); Extra Mature Cheddar (UK); Vintage Cheddar (UK); Extra Mature Cheddar; Double Gloucester; Reduced Fat Mature Cheese; Householders Choice Judged by Competition Winners and Celebrity Class Judged by Bob Crampton.

About 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.