Singing the blues...cheese makers grab gold and silver for new product

A cheesemongers is singing the blues...but couldn't be happier after scooping gold and silver accolades at the annual World Cheese Awards.

Family-run Cryer & Stott, from Allerton Bywater, entered their new Duke of Wellington blue cheese into two categories at the prestigious awards which took place in the gourmet mecca of San Sebastian in Spain.

With entrants from across the globe the awards, which are now in their 29th year are organised by the Guild of Fine Food and are the world’s biggest cheese-only competition.

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Attracting more than 3,000 cheeses from 31 different countries, the cheeses are judged by a panel of 266 experts who decide the winners and can award them either a gold, silver, bronze, or no award at all.

Cryer & Stott’s Duke of Wellington blue cheese was created especially for The British Embassy in Paris to celebrate its 200-year anniversary and was even tasted by The Queen at the prestigious event earlier this year.

The cheese, which was only recently put into full production, is matured for 15 weeks to create a buttery flavour, and clearly impressed the judging panel who awarded it a gold in the Best New Blue category and a silver in the Best Blue.

It is a huge accolade for the small business on Station Road.

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Richard Holmes, Cryer & Stott’s managing director, said: “We’re so thrilled with the results from this year’s World Cheese Awards.

“Our Duke of Wellington blue cheese was created especially for the Queen and has only recently gone into commercial production so to be awarded two medals from such a prestigious judging panel is fantastic.”

The judges at the event are also each asked to choose their favourite product, for which the makers receive a ‘super’ gold award.

An overall winner is then declared from the 62 super winners.

This year’s champion was a company from Norway.

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