A ewes’ milk cheese from France has won the top award of Supreme Champion at the 2006 World Cheese Awards.

The Fromagerie Agour’s Ossau Iraty Brebis, made from pure sheeps’ milk in the Pays Basque area of France, beat stiff competition from more than 1,500 cheeses from across the world.

Judges said they were impressed by the Brebis’s complex and well-rounded flavour.

Bob Farrand, chairman of the UK Cheese Guild, said: “The judging was the closest this year that it has ever been in the Awards’ 19-year history. The Brevis was overall winner but the Gorgonzola Caravaggio came a very close second. This just goes to show the fantastic quality of the cheese entered.”

In total, 135 gold awards were presented, along with 132 silver and 157 bronze awards.

Other notable winners included Healey’s Farmhouse Cheddar, awarded the Agri-Expo trophy for Best South African Cheese; the Antigo Cheese Company’s Aged Stravecchio Parmesan – awarded best US Cows’ Milk Cheese; Bradbury & Son’s Defendi Gorgonzola Caravaggio, which took Best Blue PDO Cheese, and Wensleydale Dairy Products’ Traditional Wensleydale, which won Best English Cheese.

This year’s awards were held at Taste of London in Regent’s Park. Judged by 120 cheese experts from around the world, entries were submitted from as far afield as Spain, the USA, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

By Jessica Gunn

Taste of London>>

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