Producers such as Lion Dairy & Drinks, Warrnambool Cheese and Butter Factory, Meredith Dairy, and Jalna Dairy Foods have been named as finalists in the Australian Grand Dairy Awards of 2018.
Judging has now been completed, with the complete shortlist unveiled from a total of 400 submitted products.
Now in its 19th year, the Australian Grand Dairy Awards recognises Australian dairy produce across 18 categories ranging from milk and cheese to ice-cream, yoghurt, and gelato.
Dairy educators Russell Smith and Mark Livermore led a panel of technical experts, chefs, retailers and flavour specialists to assess presentation, texture, flavour and aroma to shortlist the top three in each class, crowning them the 2018 finalists.
“The awards celebrate quality and excellence in delicious dairy produce, but we also want to encourage Australians to take a moment to recognise the skills and dedication of the many people who craft these products,” Amanda Menegazzo, convener of the Australian Grand Dairy Awards, said.
“It’s incredible to think that the array of finalists – from spicy blue cheese to tangy passionfruit yoghurt and sweet fig and mascarpone gelato – all start with one amazing ingredient: quality Australian milk.
The 54 finalists now await the Champion announcement in February, where the top product in each category will be revealed and the overall dairy and cheese Grand Champions will be crowned.
The complete list of finalists is below:
