Full list of Winners at the Irish Cheese Awards 2011

The Irish Cheese Awards at the SHOP Exhibition is now firmly established as the major event in Ireland for the cheese industry. The appeal of the awards is the competition between the small cottage based producers, large commercial creameries and importers and recognition of their role in developing trade on the island of Ireland.

The competition provides a showcase for visitors and professionals to view and sample firsthand the tremendous variety of cheeses now available in Ireland. It also delivers a buying audience from specialist delicatessen outlets to multiple retailers plus hoteliers and restaurateurs.

Here is the List of Winners who were presented the prizes this evening at a ceremony

at the SHOP2011 event at the RDS, Dublin which was supported by Sheridans Cheesemongers

Supreme Champion 2011:

Killeen Goat Mature

Marion Roeleveld, Killeen Farmhouse, Co. Galway

"The recipe is based on that of Gouda cheese, handmade from pasteurised milk, using traditional animal rennet. The goat’s milk is produced from our own herd of goats fed on a grass based diet which is rich in clover!"



Killeen Farmhouse Goats Cheese takes the Supreme Champion 2011 Award



List of Medal Winners:

Cheese Type	Gold Medal	Silver Medal	Bronze Medal
BLUE CHEESE: Blue veined cheeses from any milk	Crozier Blue J&L Grubb, Co. Tipperary	Bellingham Blue Peter Thomas, Co. Louth	Cashel Blue J&L Grubb, Co. Tipperary
SEMI-SOFT: Surface-washed, ripened cheeses from any milk	Milleens Dote Steele Family, Co. Cork	Gubbeen Giana Feguson, Co. Cork	Durrus Jeffa Gill, Co. Cork
BLOOMY RIND: White moulded cheeses, soft & semi soft from any milk		Gortnamona Breda Maher, Co. Tipperary	Knockdrinna Snow Helen Finnegan, Co. Kilkenny
HARD: Under 6 months Hard & semi hard cheeses from any milk	Burren Gold Aillwee Cave, Co. Clare	St. Gall Shinnicks, Fermoy, Co. Cork	Moonshine Emental Mary Kelly / Marion Roeleveld
MATURE: Over 6 months Hard & semi hard cheeses from any milk	Glebe Brethan David Tiernan, Co. Louth	Killeen Goat Mature Marion Roeleveld, Co. Galway	Coolea Extra Mature Willems Family, Co. Cork
SHEEPS MILK CHEESE	Knockdrinna Meadow Helen Finnegan, Co. Kilkenny	Crozier Blue J&L Grubb, Co. Tipperary
GOATS MILK CHEESE	Killeen Goat Mature Marion Roeleveld, Co. Galway	Clonmore Tom Biggane, Co. Cork	Killeen Goat Young Marion Roeleveld, Co. Galway
FLAVOUR ADDED: from any milk		Killeen Cow Cumin Marion Roeleveld, Co. Galway	Burren Gold Cumin Aillwee Cave, Co. Clare
NEW CHEESE On the market for less than 18 months	Ardsallagh Cranberry Jane Murphy, Co. Cork	Kilree (Knockdrinna) Helen Finnegan, Co. Kilkenny	Boyne Valle Blue Michael Finegan, Co. Meath
FRESH CHEESE: From any milk		Buffalo Mozarella Toonsbridge Dairy, Co. Cork	Yeats Organic Full Fat Green Pastures, Co. Donegal
SMOKED CHEESE:  From any milk	Knockanore Smoked Eamon Lonergan, Co. Waterford	Mature Gubbeen Smoked Giana Ferguson, Co. Cork	Carrigaline Smoked Pat O'Farrell, Co. Cork
CREAMERY CHEDDAR: Aged less than 9 months		Wexford Creamery Cheddar Co. Wexford	Wexford Hard Cheese Co. Wexford
CREAMERY MATURE CHEDDAR: Aged more than 9 months	Extra Mature White Newmarket Creamery, Cork	Wexford Mature Co. Wexford	Mature White Dairygold

Entries are graded out of 100 based on the following criteria:
Judging Criteria           Points Available
Flavour & Aroma               45
Body & Texture                 40
Colour                               10
Overall Appearance           5

This year's judging panel consisted of leading Food Industry experts. They were: Marian Cahill, Pallas Foods - Peter Ward, Country Choice - Monica Murphy, Febvre - Dan Fennelly, Cheese Consultant - Darina Allen, Celebrity Chef - Eddie O'Neill, Teagasc.

Don't forget to Feed the Fish at the bottom of this Post!
zack

Grilled Oysters with a Bacon & Blue Cheese Crumb

I love September. It's the time of year that the Mother Nature presents her bounty! Apples, blackberries, cabbages, chillies, damsons, elderberries, juniper berries, kale, wild mushrooms, pears, peppers, pumpkins, sweetcorn, red grouse, goose, crayfish, shellfish & Oysters!

This is a Great time of year for Irish Oysters!

Mmmmm Oysters! Fresh from the sea, they taste like your mouth just jumped into the Atlantic Ocean (off the Pier in Mountcharles) on New Years Day!

Some folks aren't too sure about swallowing down these tasty fruits of the sea in their natural state, so here is a simple but delicious recipe for a grilled oyster dish. You can use these as a lunch or as a starter course if you have company around. I use a blue cheese but you can use cheddar or any other cheese if you prefer.

Opening an Oyster - See Here

My Ingredients:12 oysters
3 slices smoked streaky bacon
50g Bellingham Blue cheese (or your own particular favourite blue cheese)
50g white breadcrumbs

My Method:1.Grill your bacon under a fast heat and set aside.
2. Wash the oysters with a scrubbing brush.
3. To open them: use an oyster knife or a small, thick, pointed (but blunt) knife. Holding the oyster, flat side up, in a thick cloth to protect your hand - insert the knife at the hinge of the oyster. Push and twist the knife so as to break the hinge open. Slide the knife across the inside of the top shell to cut the muscle. Discard the top shell.

4. Slide your knife under the oyster and cut the bottom muscle to loosen it completely from the shell. Arrange them on your serving plate.
5. Slice the cooked bacon into thin slivers and put a little over each oyster. Crumble the cheese over each one and sprinkle the breadcrumbs over them all.
6. Grill or bake in a pre-heated oven (180* C) for 1 minute and serve immediately

mmmmmm! Delicious!

Don't forget to Feed the Fish at the bottom of this Post!

zack