Dairy Australia's 2013 Australian Grand Dairy Awards were held earlier this week, with Lion Dairy and Drinks and Bulla Dairy Foods being named Grand Champions.
Twenty Champions were named across the awards' two categories – cheese and dairy – with the highest scoring product in each being crowned a Grand Champion.
Lion Dairy and Drinks' Tasmanian Heritage St Claire took out the cheese title, while Bulla Dairy Foods' Bulla Premium Sour Cream trumped all other competitors in the dairy category.
The panel of 21 judges spent two days testing 399 products – 153 cheese and 246 dairy products – submitted from 84 different companies around Australia – all of which are only eligible to enter the AGDA after being awarded gold medals at state competitions. Products were judged according to flavour and aroma, body and texture, and colour and appearance.
All winners are able to display the AGDA medal on their product, providing consumers with a tangible, readily-recognised symbol of the product’s quality and excellence, as well as confirmuing that they are buying Australian-made.
The 2013 AGDA Champion Cheese Winners are:
- Champion Fresh Unripened Cheese – Cuore Blu Burrata, That’s Amore Cheese (Vic)
- Champion White Mould Cheese – Old Telegraph Road Brie, Jindi Cheese (Vic)
- Champion Semi-Hard and Eye Cheese – Tasmanian Heritage St Claire, Lion Dairy & Drinks (Tas)
- Champion Cheddar-Style Cheese – Pyengana Cheddar, Pyengana Dairy (Tas)
- Champion Hard Cheese – Mil Lel Superior Parmesan, Lion Dairy & Drinks (Simpson, Vic)
- Champion Blue Cheese – Old Telegraph Road Heritage Blue, Jindi Cheese (Vic)
- Champion Washed Rind Cheese – Jindi Reserve Washed Rind, Jindi Cheese (Vic)
- Champion Flavoured Cheese – Mil Lel Superior Pepato, Lion Dairy & Drinks (Simpson, Vic)
- Champion Goat’s or Sheep’s Milk Cheese – Red Hill Mountain Goat Blue, Red Hill Cheese (Vic)
The 2013 AGDA Champion Dairy Winners are:
- Champion Natural Yogurt – Jalna Greek Natural Yoghourt, Jalna Dairy Foods (Vic)
- Champion Flavoured Yogurt – Brancourts Premium Dessert Mango Yoghurt, Brancourts Pty Ltd (NSW)
- Champion Ice Cream – Dooley’s Licorice Ice Cream, Dooley’s Ice Cream (Vic)
- Champion Dairy Gelato – Cow and the Moon Pistachio Gelato, Cow and the Moon (NSW)
- Champion Dairy Dessert – King Island Dairy Belgian Chocolate Créme Dessert, Lion Dairy & Drinks (King Island, Tas)
- Champion Milk – Sungold Jersey Milk, Warrnambool Cheese & Butter Factory (Vic)
- Champion Specialty White Dairy Drink – Norco Hi Lo, Norco Foods (Labrador, Qld)
- Champion Flavoured Dairy Drink – Oak Egg Nog, Parmalat (Clarence Gardens, SA)
- Champion Cream – Bulla Premium Sour Cream, Bulla Dairy Foods (Vic)
- Champion Butter or Butter Blend – Western Star Original Butter, Fonterra Brands (Aust) Pty Ltd (Vic)
- Champion Dairy Dip – Paradise Beach Pesto Swirl Dip, Paradise Beach Purveyors Pty Ltd (NSW)