Australian Grand Dairy Awards 2011 winners
The ‘best of the best’ Australian dairy products received their crowning glory at Wednesday’s 2011 Australian Grand Dairy Awards (AGDA), with 19 Champions and two Grand Champions awarded in front of members and supporters of the country’s dairy industry.
Themed a ‘salute to migrant Australia’, the awards celebrated the contribution and dedication of Australian immigrants to the dairy industry. Dairy Australia Managing Director Ian Halliday said this year’s awards unveiled the best in Australian dairy. “We received an impressive calibre of the finest dairy entrants who have all received state-based dairy awards across Australia before entering into this competition,” Mr Halliday said.
“The wealth of knowledge brought to this country from decades of migration, combined with Australia’s vast fertile land and endless opportunities, has enabled Australian dairy to compete at a world-class standard. This was clearly evident in the array of products that were on show at the AGDA ceremony.”
The 2011 AGDA judging panel included industry experts who underwent rigorous days of judging to decide which product in each class would be awarded one of 19 Champion gold medals and receive the highly regarded AGDA recognition of quality. From these 19 Champions, the highest scoring in each category was then chosen for the prestigious title of Grand Champion Cheese product and Grand Champion Dairy product. All winners now have the right to proudly display their AGDA medal for the next three years.
AGDA 2011 Grand Champion Winners:
•2011 Grand Champion Cheese – Old Telegraph Road Fire Engine Red, Jindi Cheese (VIC)
•2011 Grand Champion Dairy – Casa Gourmet Yoghurt with Divine Mango, Casa Dairy Products (WA)
AGDA 2011 Champion Cheese Winners:
•Champion Fresh Unripened Cheese – Puglia Ricotta, The Fresh Cheese Co (VIC)
•Champion Cheddar Style Cheese – Warrnambool Vintage Cheddar, Warrnambool Cheese & Butter Factory (VIC)
•Champion Washed Rind Cheese – Old Telegraph Road Fire Engine Red, Jindi Cheese (VIC)
•Champion White Mould Cheese – King Island Dairy Black Label Double Brie, National Foods Ltd (TAS)
•Champion Hard Cheese – Mil Lel Superior Pecorino, National Foods Ltd (VIC)
•Champion Flavoured Cheese – Mamma Lucia Chilli Pecorino, The Fresh Cheese Co (VIC)
•Champion Semi-Hard and Eye Cheese – Heidi Farm Raclette, National Foods Ltd (TAS)
•Champion Blue Cheese – Kind Island Dairy Endeavour Blue, National Foods Ltd (TAS)
•Champion Goat’s or Sheep’s Milk Cheese – Meredith Dairy Pyramid, Meredith Dairy (VIC)
AGDA 2011 Champion Dairy Winners:
•Champion Natural Yogurt – Mundella Greek Style Natural Yoghurt, Mundella Foods (WA)
•Champion Flavoured Yogurt – Casa Gourmet Yoghurt with Divine Mango, Casa Dairy Products (WA)
•Champion Ice Cream – Cocolat Ferrero Roche Ice Cream, Cocolat (SA)
•Champion Dairy Gelato – Caffe e Gelato Milany Dark Chocolate Gelato, Caffe e Gelato Milany (QLD)
•Champion Dairy Dessert – Belgian Chocolate Mousse, The Belgian Chocolate Mousse Co (NSW)
•Champion Milk – Dairy Farmers Milk, Parmalat Food Products (SA)
•Champion Specialty White Dairy Drink – Farmdale Light Milk, Norco Foods (NSW)
•Champion Flavoured Dairy Drink – Pauls Egg Nog, Parmalat Australia Ltd (QLD)
•Champion Cream – Bulla Premium Sour Cream, Bulla Dairy Foods (VIC)
•Champion Butter or Butter Blend – Western Star Unsalted Butter, Fonterra Brands Pty Ltd (VIC)
An Australian Grand Dairy Award represents quality, excellence and innovation in Australian dairy produce, recognising only the ‘best of the best’.
Rob Howell, Western Star Site Production Manager at Cobden, was enthusiastic about the win, saying “The depth of experience and dairy knowledge held by our butter makers is second to none and being recognised as the producer of top quality products is great for staff morale, for our farmer suppliers and for our loyal customers.
“Thanks must also go to our milk suppliers who consistently provide us with the high quality milk essential to the production of these great products.”
When did any of these winners go without food for 30 hours which is what the dairy industry expects of bobby calves prior to their slaughter.
How disgusting that awards are given out for the monstrous animal cruelty the dairy industry unnecessarily inflicts on 700,000 calves every year.
Humans are the only animals that drink milk after being weaned. Humans are the only species that drink the milk of another species. In America, one can buy cheese made from human breast milk. Why not eat that instead of torturing hundreds of thousands of cows to produce milk far in excess of their natural capacity. Where is the fair trade paid to these cows for the milk robbed from them? What is the calve drinking? Nothing.. the calves’ milk was stolen and the calves were slaughtered. Shame on you.