First Milk was delighted to receive 22 awards for its hard cheeses at the recent International Cheese and Dairy Awards. Of these, 16 were for cheese produced in Haverfordwest.

The British-owned regenerative dairy co-operative achieved accolades across its product range at the world’s largest cheese show, held over June 25 and 26. These comprised nine gold, eight silver and five bronze medals.

From vintage to mild Cheddars, Double Gloucester and Red Leicester, all its cheese types were recognised among the winners.

With only a single gold, silver and bronze medal awarded in each class, and up to 40 entries in the popular Cheddar categories, First Milk continues to show consistent excellence in its cheesemaking.

First Milk also secured four major trophies, with two going to Haverfordwest Creamery cheeses. It retained the South Caernarfon Creameries Trophy for Best Welsh Cheese of any variety, taking out all three medals in this class, and regained the CHR Hansen Double Gloucester Trophy for Champion Creamery Double Gloucester, last won in 2023.

Owned by around 700 farming families spread across Britain, the dairy cooperative is passionate about the power of dairy to make a difference, whether that’s providing tasty, nutritious and affordable food, building strong rural communities or leaving the world a better place.

First Milk has around 450 colleagues spread across its cheese production sites in the Lake District and in Pembrokeshire, its specialist dairy products site, BV Dairy, in Shaftesbury, and in its head office functions.

Commenting on the successes at the ICDA, First Milk Customer Quality Manager Jack Eade said: “It’s an outstanding achievement to have won so many accolades at the world’s largest cheese show, particularly doing it across such a wide range of recipes and cheese profiles. It’s testimony to our people and the quality of milk our members produce.”