2026 NEW ZEALAND CHEESE AWARDS CLASS WINNERS

🧀Curds & Whey – Amateur Cheesemaker Trophy: SPC Sheepishly Blue, St Peter’s College.

2026 NEW ZEALAND CHEESE AWARDS CLASS WINNERS🧀

Curds & Whey are right behind the growth of initiative in the NZ Cheese Industry – we are not a large company like the majority of sponsors at the annual awards but the small, rather quirky company that recognises excellent and stands behind support for the first class amater cheese maker. Thi leads to commercial reward later in life.

Teaching the science of Cheesemaking at NZ Secondary Colleges lays the basis of good science and future employment.

St Peter’s College Epsom Auckland is lucky to have a star who teaches the boys how to make first class cheese and we would like to acknowledge Dr Anthony Rogers as a star in that respect. For the last few years he and his students produced a ridiculously tasty Blue – I know I have eaten it and it was delicious!

This year St Peter’s came out on top again. A different milk this time – rich creamy sheep milk which produced this year’s winning award for their Sheepishly Blue – no trial yet but I know again that it will be delicious. Well done St Peter’s College You have done it again!

You can see the individual Awards and Winners listed below:

The New Zealand Specialist Cheesemakers Association congratulates all of our class trophy winners in this year’s hashtagNewZealandCheeseAwards and gratefully thanks all of our wonderful sponsors for their support for the NZ Cheese Industry.

Make sure to look out for the New Zealand Cheese awards medal and trophy stickers on pack in your local cheese store, retailer or farmers market. When you choose a hashtagNewZealandCheese you can hashtagTasteasliceofNewZealand through the quality, craftmanship, innovation and heritage of our industry, and support these New Zealand businesses to thrive.

🧀Whitestone Cheese – New Cheese Trophy: Craggy Range Dairy Halloumi, Craggy Range Sheep Dairy
🧀Fonterra – Original Cheese Trophy: Monte Cristo from Whitestone Cheese
🧀ECOLAB – Blue Cheese Trophy: Puhoi Matakana Waxed Blue, Puhoi Valley Cheese
🧀Novonesis – Soft White Rind Cheese Trophy: Flat White, Belle Chevre Creamery
🧀Cheeselinks – Greek-Style or Danish-Style Cheese Trophy: Feta Sheep, Fellows Field Ltd T/a Origin Earth
🧀NZSCA – Fresh Italian-Style Cheese Trophy: Appetizer Burrata, Massimo’s
🧀NZSCA – Fresh Unripened Cheese Trophy: Zany Zeus Cream Cheese, Zany Zeus NZ Limited
🧀Mercer Cheese, Meyer Cheese, and Mahoe Cheese – Dutch-Style Cheese Trophy: Vintage Gouda, Meyer Cheese
🧀IXOM – European-Style Cheese Trophy: Craggy Range Pecorino, Craggy Range Sheep Dairy
🧀NZSCA – Farmhouse Cheese Trophy: Smoked Gouda, Meyer Cheese
Massimo’s – Washed Rind Cheese Trophy: Little River Wildfire, Thorvald Ltd
🧀FOSS – Aged Flavoured Added Cheese Trophy: Smoked Rinded Cheddar, Barry’s Bay Traditional Cheese
🧀Big Chill – Fresh Flavoured Added Cheese Trophy: Feta Sheep Smoked, Fellows Field Ltd T/a Origin Earth
🧀Tetra Pak – Retail Cheddar Cheese Trophy: AFP Mild Cheddar, Fonterra Anchor Food Professionals
🧀Sealed Air – Bulk Cheddar Cheese Trophy: NZMP Epicure, Fonterra-NZMP Ingredients
🧀OJI Fibre – Best-in-Class Goat Milk Cheese: Flat White, Belle Chevre Creamery
🧀Maui Sheep Milk – Best-in-Class Sheep Milk Cheese: Feta Sheep Smoked, Fellows Field Ltd T/a Origin Earth
🧀Hill Labs – Best-in-Class Buffalo Milk Cheese: Volcano, Over the Moon
Dominion Salt – Export Cheese Trophy: Smoked Gouda, Meyer Cheese
🧀Innovative Packaging – Chef’s Choice Trophy: Puhoi Matakana Waxed Blue, Puhoi Valley Cheese

All medals and trophy results can be found on the Cheese Lovers NZ Website from Monday: https://lnkd.in/gkr2RwHS