History repeats as Whitestone gains gold

Twenty years on from the start of the New Zealand Champions of Cheese Awards, Oamaru’s Whitestone cheese is still winning gold medals.

Whitestone Cheese was a medalist in the first awards and this year won three golds, three silvers and a bronze.

Master judge, Jason Tarrant said the judges tasted a range of New Zealand-made cheese across 20 categories during two days awarding 57 gold, 55 silver and 48 bronze medals.

"Looking back over 20 years of the NZ Champions of Cheese Awards it’s wonderful to see many of the same winners from the inaugural awards in 2004 have been recognised again this year," the master judge said.

Another Otago cheesemaker Gibbston Valley Cheese won a silver and a bronze for their flavour-added cheeses, a peppered gouda and a chilli havarati.

Whitestone showed its strength in the soft cheese sections with its Drunken Windsor Blue, Lindis Pass Camembert and Brie, Probiotic Brie and Benmore Brie winning medals as did its Vintage Five Forks and in the Greek/Cypriot-style section its Ferry Road Halloumi.

Gold medal winners go through to the Champions Awards to be announced at a gala dinner in Hamilton on May 4.

Otago results

Original cheese

Gold Medal Whitestone Cheese Co, Drunken Windsor Blue; Silver Medal Whitestone Cheese Co, Vintage Five Forks

Soft ripened cheese

Gold Medal Whitestone Cheese Co, Lindis Pass Camembert, Gold Medal Whitestone Cheese Co, Probiotic Brie, Silver Medal Whitestone Cheese Co, Lindis Pass Brie, Bronze Medal Whitestone Cheese Co, Benmore Brie.

Greek/Cypriot-style cheese 

Silver Medal — Whitestone Cheese Co, Ferry Road Halloumi

Aged flavour-added cheese

Silver Medal — Gibbston Valley Cheese, Peppered Gouda; Bronze Medal Gibbston Valley Cheese, Chilli Havarti