This blog is in semi-retirement, but you can stay up to date with my cheesy musings on my other blog:
NSW Cheese Trail: Travelling the regions of NSW, one cheese at a time
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Thursday, 16 June 2016
Saturday, 17 March 2012
Judging at the Australian Grand Dairy Awards 2012
Results from the 2012 Australian Grand Dairy Awards (AGDA) were announced this week, but did you know that judging took place in November last year? The results were probably one of the dairy industry's best kept secrets over the past few months, not even revealed to we humble judges until the big announcement on Wednesday.
It was my first time judging at AGDA, and a great honour, as only 10 judges are selected from across Australia.
AGDA essentially acts as a 'Grand Final' for all the cheeses that have achieved Gold medals in the various 'qualifying shows' throughout the year. Qualifying shows include the Agricultural Society shows (such as the Sydney Royal) in most state capital cities, the Dairy Industry Association of Australia (DIAA) competitions in each state (except Tasmania), and the Australian Speciality Cheesemakers' Association (ASCA) annual show.
Being a newbie judge this year, I was struck by some of the differences - and similarities - between judging at AGDA and, say, the Sydney Royal. For example:
It is this last point that surprised me the most. What a refreshing change to easily breeze through 90 cheeses before lunch! Which is not to say that we glossed over them, but explaining this highlights the basic premise of the competition.
Cheeses that qualify to enter AGDA have already won Gold medals, so they are already considered to be excellent cheeses. Our job as judges at AGDA is to select the best of the best, so while we still take the time to carefully score each cheese out of 20, we don't need to labour over identifying individual faults, and writing detailed comments.
There is another basic premise that warrants explanation. Dairy Australia, the industry body that oversees the Australian Grand Dairy Awards, has what some consider to be a narrow definition of "dairy". That is, it generally only considers products made with bovine milk to be dairy products. This is because Dairy Australia represents farmers who produce cow's milk, and is principally funded by the Dairy Service Levy, paid by farmers based on liquid cow's milk production.
For the purposes of AGDA, this definition was acceptable when all cheeses and other dairy products in Australia were only produced from cow's milk, but is it now that a significant number of cheeses, milks, yoghurts, etc, are being produced in Australia from non-bovine sources such as goats and sheep?
In acknowledgement of the growing number of sheep's and goat's milk cheeses winning gold medals at qualifying shows, AGDA introduced a class called "Goat's and Sheep's Milk Cheeses" several years ago. But, all of these non-bovine cheeses are judged within this same class, with washed rinds, semi-hard cheeses, and blues all in together. This doesn't sit well with some judges, considering these non-bovines constituted 25% of entries this year.
The other point worth noting is that entries in the goat's and sheep's milk class are not eligible for the title of Grand Champion Cheese - the rules of the competition dictate that only a cow's milk cheese can be crowned Grand Champion.
This is fair enough considering Dairy Australia is an industry body representing cow's milk producers, but a shame when you consider that there is no other wholly national competition acknowledging the best of the best cheeses in Australia. As the quantity - and quality - of cheeses made from sheep's, goat's and buffalo's milk in Australia continues to grow, we can only hope that this might change.
Finally, you might be wondering why judging took place months ago, yet the results were only announced a few days ago. One of the main purposes of the AGDA competition is to be able to promote winning products on a national scale. To do this really well, the Dairy Kitchen and other education-related sections of Dairy Australia need time to prepare associated resources, such as their annual cook book and information leaflets.
It also gives them time to prepare a fabulous party for the announcement of awards, showcasing the champion cheeses, of course. Move over cheddar cubes on crackers, and make way for Cheddar Brulee, featuring the Grand Champion Maffra Cloth Aged Cheddar.
If only I'd made it to Melbourne for the Awards ceremony...
It was my first time judging at AGDA, and a great honour, as only 10 judges are selected from across Australia.
 |
| Cheese judges at the 2012 Australian Grand Dairy Awards, with the Dairy Australia cow. |
Being a newbie judge this year, I was struck by some of the differences - and similarities - between judging at AGDA and, say, the Sydney Royal. For example:
- we judged individually, not in groups, and with absolutely no discussion or comparing of results inside the judging room
- all judges are created equal - there are no associates, just fully-fledged judges
- judges were from diverse backgrounds, including retailers, dairy technicians, chefs, distributors, food writers
- all cheeses were judged 'blind' (no, that doesn't mean we were blind-folded, but that identifying labels and packaging were removed from the cheeses)
- the 20-point scoring system was used, but without the need to include detailed feedback on the judging sheets
- all judges completed all classes
- the Champion cheeses in each class are the cheeses with the highest score in the class
- the Grand Champion cheese is the one with the highest overall score
- judging was not a long, laborious process, but relatively straight-forward, and we easily finished judging all 90 cheeses before lunch
It is this last point that surprised me the most. What a refreshing change to easily breeze through 90 cheeses before lunch! Which is not to say that we glossed over them, but explaining this highlights the basic premise of the competition.
Cheeses that qualify to enter AGDA have already won Gold medals, so they are already considered to be excellent cheeses. Our job as judges at AGDA is to select the best of the best, so while we still take the time to carefully score each cheese out of 20, we don't need to labour over identifying individual faults, and writing detailed comments.
 |
| I'm tempted to offer a prize for the most creative caption for this photo. Anyone fancy a game of cheese frisbee? |
For the purposes of AGDA, this definition was acceptable when all cheeses and other dairy products in Australia were only produced from cow's milk, but is it now that a significant number of cheeses, milks, yoghurts, etc, are being produced in Australia from non-bovine sources such as goats and sheep?
In acknowledgement of the growing number of sheep's and goat's milk cheeses winning gold medals at qualifying shows, AGDA introduced a class called "Goat's and Sheep's Milk Cheeses" several years ago. But, all of these non-bovine cheeses are judged within this same class, with washed rinds, semi-hard cheeses, and blues all in together. This doesn't sit well with some judges, considering these non-bovines constituted 25% of entries this year.
The other point worth noting is that entries in the goat's and sheep's milk class are not eligible for the title of Grand Champion Cheese - the rules of the competition dictate that only a cow's milk cheese can be crowned Grand Champion.
This is fair enough considering Dairy Australia is an industry body representing cow's milk producers, but a shame when you consider that there is no other wholly national competition acknowledging the best of the best cheeses in Australia. As the quantity - and quality - of cheeses made from sheep's, goat's and buffalo's milk in Australia continues to grow, we can only hope that this might change.
Finally, you might be wondering why judging took place months ago, yet the results were only announced a few days ago. One of the main purposes of the AGDA competition is to be able to promote winning products on a national scale. To do this really well, the Dairy Kitchen and other education-related sections of Dairy Australia need time to prepare associated resources, such as their annual cook book and information leaflets.
It also gives them time to prepare a fabulous party for the announcement of awards, showcasing the champion cheeses, of course. Move over cheddar cubes on crackers, and make way for Cheddar Brulee, featuring the Grand Champion Maffra Cloth Aged Cheddar.
If only I'd made it to Melbourne for the Awards ceremony...
Wednesday, 22 February 2012
Judging at the Sydney Royal 2012
As always at this time of the year, in the week following the Sydney Royal Cheese & Dairy Produce Show, there is lots of talk about how the judging process works. Naturally, there is a buzz among the producers who've won medals, with lots of congratulatory emails and messages on Twitter - and that's before the official awards lunch where medals and trophies are presented.
But there are also lots of questions and comments from producers who's products didn't score as well as they would have liked, and a general scratching of heads about what we white-coat-clad judges do inside that big, temperature-controlled room full of cheese all day.
Some of the comments* made over the last week that have prompted me to write this post include:
So, as one of the "new guard" of cheese and dairy judges in this country, I feel duty-bound to lift the lid and demystify the process. This is a long post, so feel free to just skim over the headings if you want to get the gist of it!
Of prime importance is this - as judges, we are acutely aware that all producers have put time, effort, energy, hard toil, creativity, expertise, money and care into every one of their products, and that each deserves to be judged fairly and with respect. We aim to give the same careful consideration to the last cheese judged on the day, as to the first, and the Sydney Royal's system of stewarding and judging aims to support us in doing that.
All judges are trained and accredited
All cheese judges at the Sydney Royal have undergone at least 1 training course, and most of us have undertaken 2 courses and an accreditation exam. Initially (around 5-6 years ago), 2-day "Cheese Sensory" courses were run by Neil Willman, with lots of practical and theory components, and a theory exam at the end. Only those participants who passed the exam were invited to either Steward or Judge at the next show.
More recently, Dairy Australia instigated a national training and accreditation program for cheese judges, resulting in a 2-day course run by Russell Smith. It is mandatory for all existing cheese judges to attend, and offers a pathway for potential new judges to be assessed too. This new course ends with an exam featuring both theory and practical components, so we are actually judged on our ability to assess cheeses.
Judges volunteer their time
That's right, we do it for love, not money. The Sydney Royal covers our expenses such as travel and accomodation, but we are not paid to judge.
Judging panels are diverse
At the Sydney Royal, judging is not done individually, but in panels of 3-4 judges, lead by a Panel Chair. As a more experienced judge, the role of the Panel Chair is to provide an overview at the beginning of each class, ensure the judging takes place in a timely manner, and to check that individual judges' results are within an agreed margin of difference. The Panel Chair also completes a Feedback Report at the end of each class, summarising the overall results.
Panels are generally comprised of a mix of technical judges and consumer judges. The technical judges are those whose expertise is in assessing the technical aspects of the cheese, and providing constructive feedback about how the cheese could be made differently (eg, pH too low when whey drained off). Technical judges often come from manufacturing and grading roles within the dairy industry.
Consumer judges are people such as retailers, distributors, journalists and other food professionals. Their expertise is normally in selling cheese to consumers, and they are expected to have a good knowledge of a very broad range of cheese styles, and new cheeses coming in to the market. Feedback provided by consumer judges will normally be more general (eg, balance between acidity and milky flavours could be improved), rather than technical.
Both types of judges enjoy the opportunity to learn from each other during the judging process.
There are different levels of Judges
Many judges at the Sydney Royal started by volunteering as a Steward. The role of Stewards is to assist with all of the behind-the-scenes work and set-up required for judging to take place. Each panel of judges is allocated 2 Stewards, who lay out the cheeses for each class, unwrap and cut them, make sure the judges have enough knives, spittoons, etc, and seek clarification from the Chief Steward or Chief Judge about anything to do with the cheese entries.
Stewards do not participate in any way in the actual judging of the cheeses; they are simply there to assist with practical aspects of judging. Stewarding is, however, a great way to get acquainted with the judging process and the way the Sydney Royal show operates, and also a great way to learn from existing judges when they discuss their results at the end of each class.
After stewarding for 1 or 2 shows, potential new judges may then be invited to act as an Associate Judge. Associates are teamed with more experienced judging panels, as a mentoring opportunity. Associates participate fully in the judging, and complete score sheets for all cheeses, but their actual scores are not included in the final results. Essentially, they are 'practicing', or as a journalist reporting on the show one year wrote, these are the judges with training wheels on.
Judges normally stay at the Associate level for 2-3 years, until they build the confidence and experience required to act as a fully-fledged Judge.
Cheeses are not judged 'blind'
At the Sydney Royal, cheeses must be entered with their full retail packaging, so they are not judged 'blind'. While there are pro's and con's to this system, it is expected that all judges remain impartial at all times, and that pre-conceived ideas or expectations about individual products are left aside.
All of the products in each class are laid out at the same time, so we can go back and re-taste if we need to. This also makes it very easy to compare entries across the class for that year.
A 20-point system is used
Like most shows in Australia, the Sydney Royal follows a 20-point system for judging each cheese. Four points are allocated for presentation, six points for texture, and ten points for flavour.
Our system of assessing the cheeses is sometimes referred to as "fault-based" judging, but this doesn't mean we just look for faults. Instead, it means we only deduct points for faults.
To put it another way, all cheeses start off with the full 20 points, and we only take points off if we can clearly identify a fault (and normally not more than 1 full point per fault, unless the fault is really significant).
Classes are allocated to different judging panels
Each panel normally judges only 2-4 classes across the day, depending on the number of entries per class. So, one year a particular judge may be allocated White Mould and Blue classes, while the next year they may judge Mascarpone, Fetta, Flavoured Cheese and Buffalo Milk Cheese.
The judging score sheets are detailed
Most judges make note of the fault/s on the score sheets, either by writing a word, or recording a number that corresponds to a masterlist of possible faults.
This masterlist includes things like "Dull", "Surface Discolouration", "Poor Shape" (for Presentation faults), "Dry", "Grainy", "Rubbery" (for Texture faults), and "Bitter", "Lacks Balance", "Rancid" and "Lacks Flavour Development" (for Flavour faults).
That's right, "Lacks Flavour Development" is a fault, so even if the cheese is technically good, if it doesn't have a lot of flavour, it isn't likely to win gold.
Cheeses must be true to type
We assess the cheeses based on what they are supposed to be. That is, if the cheese is a mild cheddar, we judge it based on the characteristics that a mild cheddar should have. We don't expect it to have strong, developed flavours, or a crumbly texture, as we would expect for a vintage cheddar.
On the other hand, if a cheese entered as, say, a young Gouda-style has very strong, developed flavours, but we know the cheese has only been matured for a few months, it is not considered to be "true to type" and would not score well.
In this way, it's possible for a well-made very mild cheese to have a higher overall score than a very flavoursome cheese with faults. Essentially, just because a cheese has a lot of flavour - or a strong flavour - doesn't necessarily mean it will achieve a high score, particularly if that style of cheese is not supposed to have a strong flavour.
Gold medal doesn't mean 1st place
Unlike the Olympics, a Gold medal doesn't mean 1st place, and a Silver medal doesn't mean 2nd. Instead, medals are awarded based on the total score, with all cheeses scoring 18 points or above earning a Gold medal, and cheese with scores from 16.0-17.9 earning Silver medals.
So, there may be some classes with 10 Gold medals, and other classes with no Gold medals but several Silver medals. This is probably something that is not clear to consumers, but is the same system followed by wine shows in Australia.
Champion Cheese doesn't mean highest overall score
The judging of the Champion Cheese is done a little differently from the other classes at the Sydney Royal.
All cheeses awarded Gold medal scores are collated at the end of the day into their own class. All judges then participate in a "taste-off", where each cheese is tasted and then ranked in order. For example, if there are 12 Gold medal cheeses, each judge tastes all of them, and then ranks them from 1-12. The results are collated to determine the champion.
Bear in mind that individual classes are judged by different panels of judges, so it's important to get all judges involved in the "taste-off" for Champion cheese.
Feedback is available to entrants
Once the results from the show are published, more detailed information about individual scores is available. The Results Catalogue includes individual scores for each cheese, although scores below 14 points are simply listed as "Below 14". The summary from the Panel Chair's Feedback Report is included at the beginning of the results for each Class.
While not publicly available, it is also possible for entrants to ask for copies of the individual judges' comments on their cheeses only. This is where they will see detailed comments from each judge on the scores for each component of judging (presentation, texture and flavour) and the faults identified.
Individual entrants are encouraged to seek this feedback, as it is intended to be provided in a constructive manner. The overall purpose of the Show is to award and acknowledge excellence, and to encourage improvement.
Questions? Comments? Feedback?
I hope this has answered many of the questions I've had over the past week, but please let me know if it hasn't - I welcome feedback and comments from cheese makers, entrants, judges and other cheese friends.
Please post comments via the link below. Cheese!
*Thanks to all the individuals who made these comments (some privately, and some via Twitter), as it spurred me to answer them publicly in this forum.
But there are also lots of questions and comments from producers who's products didn't score as well as they would have liked, and a general scratching of heads about what we white-coat-clad judges do inside that big, temperature-controlled room full of cheese all day.
Some of the comments* made over the last week that have prompted me to write this post include:
- "who knows what the judging criteria was"
- "some of the judges don't even know what some of the cheeses are"
- "but this is a really popular product - why didn't it win gold?"
- "judges are looking too much for faults, and not for flavour"
So, as one of the "new guard" of cheese and dairy judges in this country, I feel duty-bound to lift the lid and demystify the process. This is a long post, so feel free to just skim over the headings if you want to get the gist of it!
Of prime importance is this - as judges, we are acutely aware that all producers have put time, effort, energy, hard toil, creativity, expertise, money and care into every one of their products, and that each deserves to be judged fairly and with respect. We aim to give the same careful consideration to the last cheese judged on the day, as to the first, and the Sydney Royal's system of stewarding and judging aims to support us in doing that.
All judges are trained and accredited
All cheese judges at the Sydney Royal have undergone at least 1 training course, and most of us have undertaken 2 courses and an accreditation exam. Initially (around 5-6 years ago), 2-day "Cheese Sensory" courses were run by Neil Willman, with lots of practical and theory components, and a theory exam at the end. Only those participants who passed the exam were invited to either Steward or Judge at the next show.
More recently, Dairy Australia instigated a national training and accreditation program for cheese judges, resulting in a 2-day course run by Russell Smith. It is mandatory for all existing cheese judges to attend, and offers a pathway for potential new judges to be assessed too. This new course ends with an exam featuring both theory and practical components, so we are actually judged on our ability to assess cheeses.
Judges volunteer their time
That's right, we do it for love, not money. The Sydney Royal covers our expenses such as travel and accomodation, but we are not paid to judge.
Judging panels are diverse
At the Sydney Royal, judging is not done individually, but in panels of 3-4 judges, lead by a Panel Chair. As a more experienced judge, the role of the Panel Chair is to provide an overview at the beginning of each class, ensure the judging takes place in a timely manner, and to check that individual judges' results are within an agreed margin of difference. The Panel Chair also completes a Feedback Report at the end of each class, summarising the overall results.
 |
| Judging panel comprised of international guest judge Herve Mons (technical), Sonia Cousins (consumer) and Rob Elliott (consumer) |
Consumer judges are people such as retailers, distributors, journalists and other food professionals. Their expertise is normally in selling cheese to consumers, and they are expected to have a good knowledge of a very broad range of cheese styles, and new cheeses coming in to the market. Feedback provided by consumer judges will normally be more general (eg, balance between acidity and milky flavours could be improved), rather than technical.
Both types of judges enjoy the opportunity to learn from each other during the judging process.
There are different levels of Judges
Many judges at the Sydney Royal started by volunteering as a Steward. The role of Stewards is to assist with all of the behind-the-scenes work and set-up required for judging to take place. Each panel of judges is allocated 2 Stewards, who lay out the cheeses for each class, unwrap and cut them, make sure the judges have enough knives, spittoons, etc, and seek clarification from the Chief Steward or Chief Judge about anything to do with the cheese entries.
 |
| Stewards getting the cheeses ready 'behind the scenes'. |
After stewarding for 1 or 2 shows, potential new judges may then be invited to act as an Associate Judge. Associates are teamed with more experienced judging panels, as a mentoring opportunity. Associates participate fully in the judging, and complete score sheets for all cheeses, but their actual scores are not included in the final results. Essentially, they are 'practicing', or as a journalist reporting on the show one year wrote, these are the judges with training wheels on.
Judges normally stay at the Associate level for 2-3 years, until they build the confidence and experience required to act as a fully-fledged Judge.
Cheeses are not judged 'blind'
At the Sydney Royal, cheeses must be entered with their full retail packaging, so they are not judged 'blind'. While there are pro's and con's to this system, it is expected that all judges remain impartial at all times, and that pre-conceived ideas or expectations about individual products are left aside.
All of the products in each class are laid out at the same time, so we can go back and re-taste if we need to. This also makes it very easy to compare entries across the class for that year.
 |
| Judging Class 38 - Cheese, mould ripened, to contain blue mould |
Like most shows in Australia, the Sydney Royal follows a 20-point system for judging each cheese. Four points are allocated for presentation, six points for texture, and ten points for flavour.
Our system of assessing the cheeses is sometimes referred to as "fault-based" judging, but this doesn't mean we just look for faults. Instead, it means we only deduct points for faults.
To put it another way, all cheeses start off with the full 20 points, and we only take points off if we can clearly identify a fault (and normally not more than 1 full point per fault, unless the fault is really significant).
Classes are allocated to different judging panels
Each panel normally judges only 2-4 classes across the day, depending on the number of entries per class. So, one year a particular judge may be allocated White Mould and Blue classes, while the next year they may judge Mascarpone, Fetta, Flavoured Cheese and Buffalo Milk Cheese.
The judging score sheets are detailed
Most judges make note of the fault/s on the score sheets, either by writing a word, or recording a number that corresponds to a masterlist of possible faults.
This masterlist includes things like "Dull", "Surface Discolouration", "Poor Shape" (for Presentation faults), "Dry", "Grainy", "Rubbery" (for Texture faults), and "Bitter", "Lacks Balance", "Rancid" and "Lacks Flavour Development" (for Flavour faults).
That's right, "Lacks Flavour Development" is a fault, so even if the cheese is technically good, if it doesn't have a lot of flavour, it isn't likely to win gold.
Cheeses must be true to type
We assess the cheeses based on what they are supposed to be. That is, if the cheese is a mild cheddar, we judge it based on the characteristics that a mild cheddar should have. We don't expect it to have strong, developed flavours, or a crumbly texture, as we would expect for a vintage cheddar.
On the other hand, if a cheese entered as, say, a young Gouda-style has very strong, developed flavours, but we know the cheese has only been matured for a few months, it is not considered to be "true to type" and would not score well.
In this way, it's possible for a well-made very mild cheese to have a higher overall score than a very flavoursome cheese with faults. Essentially, just because a cheese has a lot of flavour - or a strong flavour - doesn't necessarily mean it will achieve a high score, particularly if that style of cheese is not supposed to have a strong flavour.
Gold medal doesn't mean 1st place
Unlike the Olympics, a Gold medal doesn't mean 1st place, and a Silver medal doesn't mean 2nd. Instead, medals are awarded based on the total score, with all cheeses scoring 18 points or above earning a Gold medal, and cheese with scores from 16.0-17.9 earning Silver medals.
So, there may be some classes with 10 Gold medals, and other classes with no Gold medals but several Silver medals. This is probably something that is not clear to consumers, but is the same system followed by wine shows in Australia.
Champion Cheese doesn't mean highest overall score
The judging of the Champion Cheese is done a little differently from the other classes at the Sydney Royal.
 |
| Taste-off for "Champion Sheep, Goat & Buffalo Milk Cheese" |
Bear in mind that individual classes are judged by different panels of judges, so it's important to get all judges involved in the "taste-off" for Champion cheese.
Feedback is available to entrants
Once the results from the show are published, more detailed information about individual scores is available. The Results Catalogue includes individual scores for each cheese, although scores below 14 points are simply listed as "Below 14". The summary from the Panel Chair's Feedback Report is included at the beginning of the results for each Class.
While not publicly available, it is also possible for entrants to ask for copies of the individual judges' comments on their cheeses only. This is where they will see detailed comments from each judge on the scores for each component of judging (presentation, texture and flavour) and the faults identified.
Individual entrants are encouraged to seek this feedback, as it is intended to be provided in a constructive manner. The overall purpose of the Show is to award and acknowledge excellence, and to encourage improvement.
Questions? Comments? Feedback?
I hope this has answered many of the questions I've had over the past week, but please let me know if it hasn't - I welcome feedback and comments from cheese makers, entrants, judges and other cheese friends.
Please post comments via the link below. Cheese!
*Thanks to all the individuals who made these comments (some privately, and some via Twitter), as it spurred me to answer them publicly in this forum.
Tuesday, 28 June 2011
Australia's first raw milk cheese
I've now been selling Bruny Island Cheese Co's raw milk C2 for almost three months - one of the few retailers in Sydney with the privilege of doing so - and it's been fascinating observing peoples' reactions. While I had the cheese in stock for a few weeks beforehand, things only really kicked off with the Sydney Morning Herald and good living on 5th April, announcing a "Slice of History" and an "Australian first".
For those of you who are not familiar with my current place of employment, it's not normally what you might call "busy". Apart from Thursday and Friday nights, when Sydney's cheese-loving public come out in force, things tend to tick away at a steady pace. We like to think of ourselves as a "quality over quantity" kind of retailer. That changed on Tuesday 5th April.
The first wheel (about 4 kg) sold out within 24 hours. The next wheel (around 6kg) lasted less than a week. For several days the phone rang constantly, and a steady stream of customers, keen to be one of the first to try it, walked through our doors. We had to start a waiting list until the third wheel arrived, by which time the hype and hysteria had subsided and things settled back to normal. We're on to wheel four now - which, incidentally, I think is the best yet - and C2 is now quite settled into its Sydney home.
Customer reactions were mostly along the lines of "wow, that's the best cheese I've ever tasted in my life!". Sales rep's from other suppliers (interesting how a major media event brings people out of the woodwork) were more subdued in their 'praise' with comments like "the flavour's a bit short" or "not sure about that tangy finish". Somewhere in the middle lies the truth.
One customer (a food writer) commented that the debate shouldn't be about raw vs pasteurised, but rather, how to actually eat cheese (the implication being that we lack a true culture of eating, and understanding food in general, in Australia). Yes, I think it helped that raw milk cheese is a controversial topic (of course people wanted to try what only recently would have been contraband), and the parallels between the food and fashion industries crossed my mind more than once.
We included C2 in a cheese & wine masterclass a few weeks ago, and as I began talking about raw milk cheese, one guest interrupted me with a question I've heard dozens of times - but why isn't it allowed in Australia? This question is normally accompanied by a puzzled look, similar to the one I get when I explain that same-sex marriage is illegal in this country too. To most educated, thinking people I meet, neither of these inequities makes sense. If thousands of Europeans can eat raw milk cheese every day, why can't we?
While it's tempting to think of C2 as opening the floodgates on the production of raw milk cheeses in this country, that certainly didn't happen after the Roquefort ban was lifted five years ago. It's no accident that Australia's first legally-available raw milk cheese comes from Tasmania, as that state's dairy authority took a cooperative and collaborative view with Bruny Island Cheese Co. All indications are that other states are not likely to be quite so sympathetic.
I've spoken to several cheesemakers in NSW who'd love to make their cheese from raw milk, but who've been told by their relevant state dairy body not to hold their breath. These producers are all small-scale, family-run, single-herd, on-farm operations, where the individuals who make the cheese also tend the pastures and milk the animals. Most are A grade certified. In short, the perfect case models for safely producing raw milk cheeses. The FSANZ regulations about "pasteurisation equivalent processes" may be national, but individual states effectively have a veto role in approving raw milk cheese production.
So, is raw milk C2 the best cheese I've ever tasted in my life? No. Is it the best cheese in Australia? No to that too. Is it a great cheese? Yes. Does it taste different/better/more complex because the milk wasn't pasteurised? Probably. Does it have the potential to be a really great cheese, perhaps even an Australian icon? Absolutely.
I look forward to watching C2 evolve as it settles into its flagship role. And I can't wait to taste some that's matured for more than 10 months. I reckon that's just when it begins hitting its stride.
Here's how the Sydney Morning Herald reported it on Tuesday 5th April: http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/restaurants-and-bars/raw-deal-shakes-up-the-curd-mentality-20110404-1cypn.html
and Helen Greenwood's cover story from good living on the same day:
![]()
 |
| good living, Tuesday, April 5, 2011 |
The first wheel (about 4 kg) sold out within 24 hours. The next wheel (around 6kg) lasted less than a week. For several days the phone rang constantly, and a steady stream of customers, keen to be one of the first to try it, walked through our doors. We had to start a waiting list until the third wheel arrived, by which time the hype and hysteria had subsided and things settled back to normal. We're on to wheel four now - which, incidentally, I think is the best yet - and C2 is now quite settled into its Sydney home.
Customer reactions were mostly along the lines of "wow, that's the best cheese I've ever tasted in my life!". Sales rep's from other suppliers (interesting how a major media event brings people out of the woodwork) were more subdued in their 'praise' with comments like "the flavour's a bit short" or "not sure about that tangy finish". Somewhere in the middle lies the truth.
One customer (a food writer) commented that the debate shouldn't be about raw vs pasteurised, but rather, how to actually eat cheese (the implication being that we lack a true culture of eating, and understanding food in general, in Australia). Yes, I think it helped that raw milk cheese is a controversial topic (of course people wanted to try what only recently would have been contraband), and the parallels between the food and fashion industries crossed my mind more than once.
We included C2 in a cheese & wine masterclass a few weeks ago, and as I began talking about raw milk cheese, one guest interrupted me with a question I've heard dozens of times - but why isn't it allowed in Australia? This question is normally accompanied by a puzzled look, similar to the one I get when I explain that same-sex marriage is illegal in this country too. To most educated, thinking people I meet, neither of these inequities makes sense. If thousands of Europeans can eat raw milk cheese every day, why can't we?
While it's tempting to think of C2 as opening the floodgates on the production of raw milk cheeses in this country, that certainly didn't happen after the Roquefort ban was lifted five years ago. It's no accident that Australia's first legally-available raw milk cheese comes from Tasmania, as that state's dairy authority took a cooperative and collaborative view with Bruny Island Cheese Co. All indications are that other states are not likely to be quite so sympathetic.
I've spoken to several cheesemakers in NSW who'd love to make their cheese from raw milk, but who've been told by their relevant state dairy body not to hold their breath. These producers are all small-scale, family-run, single-herd, on-farm operations, where the individuals who make the cheese also tend the pastures and milk the animals. Most are A grade certified. In short, the perfect case models for safely producing raw milk cheeses. The FSANZ regulations about "pasteurisation equivalent processes" may be national, but individual states effectively have a veto role in approving raw milk cheese production.
So, is raw milk C2 the best cheese I've ever tasted in my life? No. Is it the best cheese in Australia? No to that too. Is it a great cheese? Yes. Does it taste different/better/more complex because the milk wasn't pasteurised? Probably. Does it have the potential to be a really great cheese, perhaps even an Australian icon? Absolutely.
I look forward to watching C2 evolve as it settles into its flagship role. And I can't wait to taste some that's matured for more than 10 months. I reckon that's just when it begins hitting its stride.
Here's how the Sydney Morning Herald reported it on Tuesday 5th April: http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/restaurants-and-bars/raw-deal-shakes-up-the-curd-mentality-20110404-1cypn.html
and Helen Greenwood's cover story from good living on the same day:
Monday, 18 April 2011
Why another cheese blog?
It used to be quite simple. When I took my first tentative steps towards cheese as a career, finding information wasn't that hard. There were great cheese books to read, colleagues to mentor me, suppliers who introduced wonderful new cheeses, and even a major TV series devoted to the world of cheese. Back then, it was simply about "which region is this from?", "is it made from sheep's or goat's milk?" and "what's the best way to cut and wrap this little baby?"
More than six years on, my cheese world is now a very different place. There are still some great books, but most are British or American with very little Australian content. The colleagues are still there - some near, some far away - but now it's the younger fromage-o-philes asking me stuff. And as for suppliers, well . . . there are exceptions, but many of them can't even pronounce the cheese names properly.
Blame it on my science background, but the more I learn about cheese, the more complex my questions have become.
This blog will be a place for me to share some answers to the sorts of questions other cheese people like me might have. The sorts of questions that can't be answered by suppliers or books, but which require a little more in-depth research and "back to the source" investigation. Such as, How can some cheese-makers claim their non-animal rennet is GMO-free? What's the difference between unpasteurised and raw? and Are starter cultures to blame for lack of flavour variety in Australian white moulds?
I'll also dabble in a bit of home cheese-making and the occasional cheese travelogue.
So, join me as I seize the day (and the cheese) and continue on my quest for cheese knowlege.
More than six years on, my cheese world is now a very different place. There are still some great books, but most are British or American with very little Australian content. The colleagues are still there - some near, some far away - but now it's the younger fromage-o-philes asking me stuff. And as for suppliers, well . . . there are exceptions, but many of them can't even pronounce the cheese names properly.
Blame it on my science background, but the more I learn about cheese, the more complex my questions have become.
This blog will be a place for me to share some answers to the sorts of questions other cheese people like me might have. The sorts of questions that can't be answered by suppliers or books, but which require a little more in-depth research and "back to the source" investigation. Such as, How can some cheese-makers claim their non-animal rennet is GMO-free? What's the difference between unpasteurised and raw? and Are starter cultures to blame for lack of flavour variety in Australian white moulds?
I'll also dabble in a bit of home cheese-making and the occasional cheese travelogue.
So, join me as I seize the day (and the cheese) and continue on my quest for cheese knowlege.
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