CEREDIGION cheese company Caws Teifi Cheese is celebrating after winning one of the food and drink industry’s most recognised awards.

The Great Taste awards, referred to as the ‘Oscars’ of the food world, were held in London’s InterContinental Park Lane Hotel, London, where over 350 guests from the world of fine food gathered to hear the results of many months of rigorous judging.

And from the 12 Welsh products that received the top accolade of three stars at the Great Taste awards 2018, the Golden Fork from Wales was awarded to Caws Teifi Cheese’s Golden Promise.

Caws Teifi Cheese, based at Glynhynod Farm, Llandysul, is now the longest established artisan cheese maker in Wales, having produced award winning raw milk cheeses for over 30 years.

The company was established in 1982 by co-founder John Savage-Onstwedder, who came to Wales from Holland to set about following his dream of organic farming. He set about reviving the lost tradition of using raw milk and local ingredients to make high quality artisanal cheese.

He said: “It is amazing to win this award. It’s the one that has always eluded us and when they opened the golden envelope, we were all so proud.

“To be awarded three stars in the Great Taste Awards is a testament to the skill and dedication of the whole team here at Caws Teifi Cheese.

“It also reflects the quality of the milk produced here in Ceredigion and we must give credit to Mr & Mrs Williams of Cilcert Farm, Ffos-y-Ffin, Aberaeron who produce the milk that makes our cheese.

“That the most highly awarded cheese in Britain is produced here in Ceredigion proves that both Welsh milk and cheeses are something we can all be proud of”.

The most highly-awarded British cheese, Celtic Promise, is a Caerphilly type washed-rind cheese with a slightly moist, pink rind. Soft and buttery as it matures it developed a slightly pungent aroma and has a delicate, mild flavour creating a delicious contrast with the rind.

Described as “artisan cheese making at its finest”, demonstrating “astonishing skill”, the cheese is “floral, farmyard and buttery with amazing gamey and livery notes on the punchy rind”.

As the praise rolled in, judges also commented on the “fruitiness to the paste, giving a freshness to the flavour and helping it melt in the mouth. It appeals to every sense. Fabulous!”

Welsh Government Cabinet Secretary for Energy, Planning and Rural Affairs, Lesley Griffiths AM said: “Congratulations to Caws Teifi Cheese on their achievements in the Great Taste awards. It is very encouraging to see established, family-run companies doing so well and being acknowledged for the hard work and commitment they put in to producing quality produce.

The awards are an important showcase of quality, innovation and outstanding taste from Welsh companies. They should be very proud and I wish them the very best for the future.”

An outstanding 153 products from Wales, from independent artisan producers to larger distributors, were recognised in this year’s Great Taste awards, organised by the Guild of Fine Food.