Food and Drink Wales joins Virtual Cheese Awards as headline sponsor

Food and Drink Wales has been announced as the headline sponsor of the 2021 Virtual Cheese Awards.

The second iteration of the pioneering online event will take place on 7th May 2021. Hundreds of entries from across the British dairy industry have been made so far, with entries due to close 24th March 2021.

“I’m delighted that Food and Drink Wales are the headline partner of the 2021 Virtual Cheese Awards, which promotes and celebrates excellence within the industry,” said Lesley Griffiths, minister for environment, energy and rural affairs.

“We have a proud tradition of cheese-making in Wales and it forms a major part of our booming food and drink industry. From artisan to larger producers, we boast an impressive list of award-winning cheeses and I’m certain this will continue to grow over the coming years.

“I’m sure that this year’s event will once again be a roaring success and I would urge producers from across the country to get their entries in by the deadline.”

Sarah de Wit, founder of the Virtual Cheese Awards and cheese and dairy consultant, said: “We are excited to see all the wonderful Welsh cheeses that will join the other innovative cheeses being produced across the United Kingdom.”

The added support from Food & Drink Wales means the awards will be able to raise more money for its bursary fund for the Specialist Cheesemakers Association. “This will help support British cheesemakers who are facing financial challenges in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic as well as invest in innovative cheese producers coming into the market,” Sarah said.

400 individual entries are available across nine categories, including Best Cheddar Cheese, Best Territorial, Best Blue and Best Speciality Cheese.

This year will also see the introduction of a new Recognising Excellence category that includes three classes: Most Innovative Cheese Packaging, Sustainability in Cheese production and Cheese Hero, which will be given to someone who has gone over and above to support the cheese industry.

“We have bolstered the prize for the 2021 event so the Best of British cheese will walk away with almost £10,000 worth of support for its business,” Sarah said. The prize includes editorial features in Speciality Food and Great British Food worth £4,000, as well as a showcase at the Speciality & Fine Food Fair worth £5,000, a PR consultation from North PR worth £500 and more.

Entries close Wednesday 24th March. Learn more about the awards and how to enter here.