Gloucestershire's Burford cheese wins Britain's best award

Britain's best cheese has been named as Burford, a washed rind cheese made in Gloucestershire. This cheese triumphed over almost 600 others at the British & Irish Cheese Awards held in Somerset. It was praised by judge Nigel Barden as a "fabulous example" of its kind, highlighting the quality produced by King Stone Dairy. The awards featured cheeses from across the UK, with more than 591 entries from 71% of the nation's producers. Various categories saw competitors awarded medals based on taste, appearance, and aroma. Besides Burford, Lowfields Lancashire was recognized as the best territorial cheese, while Shropshire Knight won for best blue cheese. However, there was disappointment for Irish cheeses, as they were reportedly stuck in customs and did not appear at the event. Tim Rowcliffe from the awards expressed concern over the impact of Brexit on the cheese sector. Few Scottish cheeses received awards, but Welsh cheese Saval took home the title of best Welsh cheese. Judges noted the thriving artisan cheese industry in Britain, with many new cheeses emerging. Some cheeses, like Baron Bigod and Raedwald, have gained recognition for their quality. Tracey Colley from the Academy of Cheese emphasized the excitement around new cheesemakers receiving awards for their products. The Bath & West Food and Drink Festival this weekend will showcase many of the winning cheeses, allowing fans to taste the best of British cheese.