Shropshire Blue wins British Cheeses Awards 2016

Cropwell Bishop is best known for its Stilton, but it was the Nottinghamshire company's Shropshire Blue that was named Supreme Champion at this years British Cheese Awards.

The spicy, nutty blue cheese, which is coloured orange with the addition of a vegetable dye called annatto, beat more than 900 cheeses to the title at the Royal Bath & West Show near Shepton Mallet in Somerset in June.

The award was collected by director Robin Skailes, who said the win was “an honour and accolade for our team”.

The Reserve Champion was a brand new goats milk cheese called St Thom by Lightwood Cheese, which is made by Haydn Roberts, the former head cheesemaker at Neal's Yard Creamery.

The British Cheese Awards was founded by Juliet Harbutt in 1994 and was acquired by the Royal Bath & West Show last year. The Young Cheesemonger of the Year award went to Mihaela Mercasi (below), Delicatessen Manager at The House of Bruar in Scotland.

A selection of the main winners is below.

SUPREME CHAMPION Shropshire Blue, Cropwell Bishop Creamery

RESERVE CHAMPION St Thom, Lightwood Cheese

Country Awards

Best English - Patrick Rance Trophy: Shropshire Blue,Cropwell Bishop Creamery

Best Welsh - Dougal Campbell Trophy: Golden Cenarth, Caws Cenarth

Best Scottish - Jeff Reade Trophy: Lockerbie Vintage Sponsored, Arla Foods

Best Irish - Eugene Burns Trophy: Wicklow Blue, Wicklow Farmhouse Cheese

Best Fresh Cheese: Rosary Ash, Rosary Goats Cheese

Best Soft White Cheese: St Thom, Lightwood Cheese

Best Semi-Soft Cheese: Golden Cenarth, Caws Cenarth

Best Cheddar: Parkham Farms

Best Territorial (non-Cheddar): Traditional Double Gloucester, Wensleydale Dairy Products

Best Modern British Cheese: Medium Goats Cheese, Delamere Dairy Limited

Best Blue Cheese: Shropshire Blue, Cropwell Bishop Creamery

Best Flavour Added Cheese: Smoked Lincolnshire Poacher, Lincolnshire Poacher

Special Awards

Best New Cheese: Brefu, Cosyn Cymru

Best Export Cheese: St Cera, White Wood Dairy

Best Goat Cheese: St Thom, Lightwood Cheese

Best Organic Cheese: Wyfe of Bath, Bath Soft Cheese

Best PDO/PGI Cheese: Keen’s Vintage Raw Milk Cheddar, Keen’s Cheddar