World Class Cheese and Dairy Promised at the Great Yorkshire Show
Entries from across the globe are expected to come flooding in for the cheese and dairy section of 2012 Great Yorkshire Show.
Last year saw cheeses produced as far away as Australia, Holland, Switzerland and Greece come before the eagle eyes of the judges, as well as a vast selection from across the UK.
Dates for this year’s event are Tuesday 10 – Thursday 12 July when more than 130,000 visitors are expected to come through the gates at what is England’s premier agricultural show.
Nigel Pulling, Chief Executive said: “Over the last decade the cheese and dairy section has grown both in prestige and in the quality of entries. We’re particularly proud to have Royal approval, in that we offer The Prince of Wales Award for Outstanding Quality to dairy products which are the pinnacles of perfection, and shining examples of excellence.”
The section celebrated its tenth birthday last year and now boasts around 800 entries, with classes for cheese, milk, ice cream, cream, yoghurt and butter. The deadline for entries is Tuesday 8 May.
Awards are as diverse as the Best Speciality Product, Best Dressed Dairy Product and Champion Retailer but the Supreme Dairy Championship is the ultimate accolade. New for this year is the Best Raw Milk Cheese Trophy, which will be selected from the section champions. The Consumers’ Choice classes are always popular, with opportunities to see what it takes to be an expert, whether you are aged 8 or 80.
“This is one area of the show where you can see multi nationals, including the supermarkets and large dairy companies, competing with small artisan producers and individual farmers and as it should be, it’s the quality which counts,” said Jayne Hickinbotham, the section manager.
Judges are “top drawer” too, and include Maurice Johnson, UK Marketing Manager of Interprofession du Gruyere, the esteemed John Pearson and Tom Walker who between them have eight decades of judging experience, Mrs Philippa Godden of Waitrose who is judging the Cheese Quality Award, plus Mrs Zelica Carr, Chief Executive of the Ice Cream Alliance.
This year’s event will have a more inclusive “hands on” feel, with a packed programme of talks, demonstrations and events over the three days. Wednesday will see a new feature: “The Cheese Event” for the public and commercial buyers alike. This will include a Question Time slot, and later in the day there will be another chance to grill the decision-makers in “Ask the Judges.”
New on Thursday is The Big Cheese Auction when whole cheeses will come under the hammer, with all proceeds going to charity. “It’s an opportunity to buy your cheese for the year as it’s all suitable for the freezer, and of course, many are likely to have won top prizes,” said Miss Hickinbotham.
Ends
Judy Thompson, PR Manager on 01423 546215 or email judyt@yas.co.uk
Great Yorkshire Show, Tuesday 10 – Thursday 12 July, 2012
This year sees the 154th Great Yorkshire Show. It is organized by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society and is England’s premier agricultural show. Each year some 130,000 visitors come through the gates to see the best of British agriculture and experience country life, as well as hundreds of stands selling everything from furniture to designer clothing. Around 10,000 animals, including cattle, sheep and horses, compete for the top prizes. The event is held at the Great Yorkshire Showground, Harrogate. Gates open at 7.30am each day.
Tickets are available on the gates and in advance until Wednesday 4 July – go to www.greatyorkshireshow.co.uk or call 01423 541222.
Tickets bought in advance Tickets bought on the gate
Adult: £20 Adult £23
Concession: £19 Concession: £22
Children: £9 Children: £11
Family: £52 Family: £60
Parking is free and extensive; please note dogs, other than assistance dogs are not allowed on the showground.
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