Speciality Food Magazine - April 2026

34 The Cut . The latest cheese news Snowdonia celebrates 25th anniversary with Purple Vale launch Welshcheesemakers SnowdoniaCheeseCohave collaboratedwith 400-year-oldbalsamicvinegarbusinessGiuseppeGiusti ofModena to create an innovativenewCheddar. Richwith dark fruit and honeyed sweetness, yet intensely savoury and satisfyingly crumbly, the newcheese is bold and complex, and encased in a deep purplewax to represent the heather-coloured hills local to the cheesemaker and the Lambrusco grapes used byGiusti. To create the innovative newcheese, SnowdoniaCheese Co blended its butteryMature Cheddarwith its Balsamic Caramelised RedOnion Chutney, made using Giusti’s DuchessaCarlottaBalsamicVinegar of Modena, before finishing itwith the award-winning 3 GoldMedals BalsamicVinegar of Modena, created using sun-dried grapes harvested from the Lambrusco vineyards of Emilia-Romagna that have been slowly aged in oak barriques. Usk Valley Cheese Company releases Blorenge InspiredbyTheBlorenge, the strikinghill that rises above thehistoricmarket downof Abergavenny,UskValleyCheese Companyhas createdBlorenge – a luxuriousBrie-style cheese. Blorenge’s deep golden interior and creamy texture offers a gently richness that showcases the indulgence of Jerseymilk, famed for its high levels of butterfat. Produced seasonally in 200g wheels, Blorenge is available from March toDecember and the first batchwill be ready in late April 2026. Dazel Ash gains Supreme Champion plaudit Theash-coatedgoat’s log fromRosary GoatsCheese fromtheNewForesthaswon the topprizeat theBritish&IrishCheese Awards2026. The cheese’s freshandcleanflavour profilewithcitrus, earthynotes andafloral sweetness impressed the judges during the judgingprocesswhich tookplaceon20th Marchat theBath&West Showground nearlySheptonMallet, Somerset,while its delicate crinkled rindof edible ash is in striking contrast against itswhite interior. “We are absolutelydelighted tohavewonSupremeChampion forDazel Ashat theBritish&IrishCheeseAwards. It is anhonour to receive suchan accolade fromjudges soknowledgeable inartisanal cheesemaking,”said ChrisMoody fromRosaryGoats Cheese.“TheCheeseAwards have always beenamarvellous showcase forBritishand Irishcheesemakers, especially the small producers.The suddenburstof enthusiasmthatyouget fromwinning anaward remindsyouwhyyou startedmaking cheese in thefirstplace!” Julius Longman, chairmanof theBritish&IrishCheeseAwards, said, “As ourBritish and Irishcheesemaking communities continue togo from strength to strength,we’redelighted tocelebrate theirwork at theBritish& IrishCheeseAwards,welcomingmore cheese entries andmore judgesyet again thisyear.Huge congratulations toall of ourwinners, andof course to ourSupremeChampion,DazelAsh fromRosaryGoats Cheese,whichwas up against some trulyastonishing cheeses in thisyear’s hotlycontestedfinal. Itwas a special year for theAwards, aswe celebratedour30thanniversary. Thankyou toall of our friends across the industrywhodo theirbitmake the British&IrishCheeseAwards so special – inparticularourpartners in Ireland, whohavehelpedus bring a record-breakingnumberof Irishcheeses into the competition thisyear.”