Judging to crown the nation’s finest cheeses, dairy products and ice creams gets underway at the Royal Queensland Food and Wine Show (RQFWS) at the Brisbane Showgrounds today, with the winners to be announced on Friday.
Seventeen judges, led by international dairy judge Russell Smith, will spend the next four days tasting their way through 500 dairy products in the Cheese and Dairy Produce Show presented by Lendlease and Ice Cream, Gelato and Sorbet Competition presented by Lendlease.
For the first time, three camel milk products feature among the 335 cheese and dairy competition entries, following the addition of ‘other non-bovine milk products’ to classes previously only open to buffalo, goat and sheep milk.
Chief Judge Mr Smith said he’s looking forward to judging the high quality entries both competitions attract.
“Most producers of premium cheese and dairy products enter this competition each year, so we expect to be judging the very best the Australian industry has to offer,” he said.
“I’m also expecting to see the usual high standard entries in ice cream, gelato and sorbet. In my nine years of judging this competition, the standard has far excelled that of any other competition I’ve seen in Australia.”
Some of the flavours hoping to scoop up the title of Australia’s best ice cream this year include salted caramel and macadamia; vanilla, lavender and honey; black sesame; mango and dragon fruit; and even blue cheese with walnut; and pumpkin pie.
The nation’s best dairy products will be crowned at an awards presentation this Friday 26 May, with last year’s Grand Champions taken out by a dark chocolate gelato from Milani House of Gelato in Brisbane and a buffalo milk cheese produced by Berrys Creek Gourmet Cheese in Victoria.
The award-winning products will also be featured at the Royal Queensland Show (Ekka), which is just 81 days away.
The awards presentation will be held this Friday 26 May from 11:30am – 1:30pm at the Governors Pavilion, Brisbane Showgrounds.