Organic Dairy Shines at Royal Welsh Show Awards

26 July 2012

Organic dairy was well represented at this year’s Royal Welsh Show Dairy Produce awards, with three Soil Association licensed organic processors taking home a plethora of awards across a number of categories, including the prestigious 2012 ‘Excellence in Cheese Making’ award to Caws Cenarth Cheese. [1][2][3]

Caws Cenarth also won gold for its organic Perl Wen, a creamy blue cheese, which was declared the ‘Best Welsh Produced Cheese’ by the show’s judges.

Caws Caerfai, an organic farm located in the Caerfai Bay in Pembrokeshire, won gold for their ‘Carton of Milk’ in a very competitive class. [4]

Sancler Organic, an organic dairy farm in Carmarthenshire, was also awarded gold and silver in two soft cheese categories. [5]

Dawne Summersfield, Soil Association head of inspection, said: “It’s great to see organic dairy producers so well represented at these prestigious awards. At a time when dairy producers across the industry are under pressure, the Royal Welsh Show awards represent a huge acknowledgment of all of their fantastic work. In particular, the Soil Association is extremely proud to see our licensees perform so well and be acknowledged for their exceptionally high standards and commitment to organic principles.”

Organised by the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society the Royal Welsh Show is the largest agricultural show in Europe. Victory at the Royal Welsh Show is regarded as particularly significant not only in Wales but throughout the United Kingdom. Exhibitors attend from throughout Wales and beyond and the quality of competition is always high. [6]

Ends

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Notes to editor:

[1] For more information about organic dairy farming, please visit: http://www.soilassociation.org/whatisorganic/organicanimals/dairycattle

[2] A full list of all the categories and winners is available here: http://www.rwas.co.uk/assets/var/docs/royalwelsh/results/2012/DAIRY-PRODUCE---Results-12.pdf

[3] Caws Cenarth Cheese: Caws Cenarth is a family-run organic cheese business started by Gwynfor and Thelma Adams in 1987 and is the oldest established producer of Welsh Farmhouse Caerffili. As well as the plain Caerffili, Caws Cenarth also produces other varieties, Garlic and Herb Caerffili and Smoked Caerffili. http://www.cawscenarth.co.uk/

[4] Caws Caerfai: Caws Caerfai is a 140 acre coastal farm a short distance South, from St Davids in Pembrokeshire. The Farms Organic enterprises now include milk, cheeses, potatoes, pigs, beef and cereals. http://cawscaerfai.co.uk/index1.html

[5] Sancler Organic: Sancler’s ethos is ‘farming with nature not against it’, and Elfyn and Rhian hit upon the idea of smooth cheese when they were looking to add value to the organic milk from their herd of pedigree Meuse-Rhine-Issels at Glancynin Farm near St Clears. http://sanclerorganic.co.uk/index.html

[6] Find out more about the Royal Welsh Show: http://www.rwas.co.uk/en/welsh-show/the-royal-welsh-show-rwas

About the Soil Association
The Soil Association was founded in 1946 by farmers, scientists, doctors and nutritionists to promote the connection between the health of the soil, food, people and the environment. Today the Soil Association is the UK's leading membership charity campaigning for healthy, humane and sustainable food, farming and land use. To find out more visit www.soilassociation.org