Victorian producers clean up at Australian Grand Dairy Awards

Wednesday 03 February 2010 | From Dairy Australia

Victoria’s dairy producers triumphed at the 2010 Australian Grand Dairy Awards held at Carousel, Albert Park today, taking seven out of the twenty Champion titles in the categories of Dairy and Cheese, and winning the coveted title of Grand Champion Dairy with Gundowring’s Finest Ice Cream, Licorice.

Major dairy producers Bulla and Tatura took home three awards for Bulla Fruit ‘n’ Yogurt Apricot, Bulla Pure Cream and Tatura Continental Salted Butter, while artisan producers Floridia Cheese, Yarra Valley Dairy, Donnybrook Cheese and Gundowring Fine Foods swept the awards in the respective dairy and cheese categories. Victoria tied with Tasmania at the 2010 awards, with both states taking home seven Champion Awards and a Grand Champion award each.

“Victoria, the nation’s largest producer of dairy products, took out seven champion prizes across the categories of cheese, cream and butter, including the Grand Champion Dairy award for the excellent Gundowring Finest Ice Cream Licorice,” Neil Willman, Chief Judge for the AGDA said. “This is a great result in light of the severe drought affecting the Northern Victorian region, and is testimony to Victoria’s reputation as a dairy state that produces excellent, high quality products,” he added.

AGDA 2010 Grand Champion Winners:

2010 Grand Champion Dairy – Gundowring Finest Ice Cream Licorice (VIC)

Made from the fresh, rich creamy milk of Sarah and Stephen Crooke’s (Gundowring’s) herd of Holstein cows, and Green Grove Organic Licorice from Junee, New South Wales, Gundowring’s Licorice ice cream has a smooth texture and intense flavour.

AGDA 2010 Champion Cheese:

Champion Hard Cheese – Floridia Pecorino (VIC)

Floridia’s Pecorino is light to mild in flavour, with a firm body.

Champion Flavoured Cheese – Yarra Valley Dairy Persian Fetta (VIC)

Yarra Valley’s Dairy Persian Fetta is a silky textured cows milk cheese marinated in fine herbs, garlic and oil.

Champion Goat’s or Sheep’s Milk Cheese – Donnybrook Pastorello (VIC)

Made from a blend of Cow and Ewes milk, Donnybrook Pastorello is a traditional handmade cheese with a piquant taste that stems from its maturing process.

AGDA 2010 Champion Dairy Products:

Champion Yogurt Dairy Drink – Bulla Fruit ‘n’ Yogurt Apricot (VIC)

Bulla Fruit ‘n’ Yogurt is a smooth and creamy yogurt drink that is made with real fruit and does not contain any artificial colours or flavours. The low fat (99% fat free) fruit yogurt is made with Acidophilus and Bifidus (AB Live) cultures.

Champion Ice Cream – Gundowring Finest Ice Cream Licorice (VIC)

Made in the heart of Australia’s richest dairy region, Bulla has access to an abundance of fresh cream every day. The cream is used in Bulla’s Pure Cream, which has a 45% milk fat content.

Champion Butter or Butter Blend – Tatura Continental Unsalted Butter (VIC)

Tatura Continental Unsalted Butter is a true European style of unsalted lactic butter. Churned from the freshest cream, with the addition of a culture this butter has a rich nutty flavour and is best used for cooking or spreading on fresh bread.

About the AGDA

The Australian Grand Dairy Awards (AGDA) was founded in 1999 as an initiative by Dairy Australia to reward excellence in the industry. The Awards are presently in their eleventh year, and recognise quality, excellence and innovation in the Australian dairy produce industry. Twenty separate categories are recognised, across cheeses and other dairy products, as well as a Grand Champion Dairy Award and a Grand Champion Cheese Award.

AGDA winners can be readily recognised by a national brand mark (as seen in the header), which is displayed on the winning products. All entrants are Gold Medallists from 2009 State-based awards, ensuring only entries of the highest quality.

The 2010 AGDA judges include Neil Willman, Henry-Eric Spinnler, Russell Smith, Bill Calder, Alison Alexander, Anneka Manning, Bill Calder, Bill Tzimas, Caroline Velik, Don Sandman, Garry Baker, Joanna Savill, Maggie Beer, John MacDonald, Leanne Bennett-Jones, Matthew Macartney, Peter Howard, Philippa Grogan, Robyn Gray, Cam Cutri, Steve Rice, Valerie Henbest and Zoe Skewes.

For further information on the AGDA, visit: http://www.dairyaustralia.com.au/Products-and-Recipes/Australian-Grand-Dairy-Awards/Australian-Grand-Dairy-Awards-2010.aspx

For the 2010 AGDA Judges Profiles, visit: http://www.dairyaustralia.com.au/Products-and-Recipes/Australian-Grand-Dairy-Awards/2010-Judges-Profiles.aspx

About Dairy Australia

Dairy Australia is a public, non-governmental company which was formed in 2003 as the result of a merge between the Australian Dairy Corporation and the Australian Dairy Research Corporation. The company operates out of the national office located in Melbourne, and works towards growing an international, competitive and sustainable dairy industry in Australia.

Dairy Australia works in the interests of the farmers, dairy industry and broader community. Its ultimate aim is to help farmers be profitable over the long term, and securing the future of the dairy industry for generations to come. In this respect, Dairy Australia provides leadership to help guide farmers through issues including climate change, competition for resources, energy policy and public health debates, and delivers solutions that give farmers the confidence to adapt in the ever-changing operating environment.

For more information on Dairy Australia, visit www.dairyaustralia.com.au

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