Mull of Kintyre Cheese leads the parade of champions....

[Kintyre Forum News]

From the Scotsman at http://business.scotsman.com/fooddrinka ... 4237667.jp

Cheeses win First Milk a slice of the action
By Dan Buglass

THE livestock results tend to hit the headlines at each Royal Highland Show, but the awards made to food companies can often have far greater financial significance in the longer term.
That certainly is the view of First Milk, the largest dairy farmer co-operative in the UK with about 2,600 members in Scotland, England and Wales. At this year's Royal Highland Show, the company won no fewer than 15 awards for its cheeses, which are manufactured at three plants in Scotland.

Leading the parade of champions was the Kintyre Creamery at Campbeltown, whose "Mull of Kintyre Extra Mature Cheddar" lifted a gold award. The same plant also won two silver medals and five bronzes.

The Arran creamery also won two silvers and four bronzes while the facility at Rothesay on Bute was awarded a silver and five bronze medals. Cheese production is a vital lifeline for dairy producers in the more remote parts of Scotland.

That has been a core element of the First Milk strategy in recent years and has resulted in the company gaining pole position as the leading supplier of cheddar in the UK market.

Graham Sheach, the regional controller for First Milk's cheese operations in Scotland, said: "The entire team are absolutely delighted at this recent success. Cheese shows are the shop window for our products and we know that existing and potential customers take notice of who is winning the prizes, so it is great for our reputation to be known as a leading producer of the very best.

"Regional provenance is increasingly important to consumers who want to know where their cheese is coming from – and that they are supporting local farmers.

"When a consumer buys any of our brands, they know that the milk is local and the cheese is local – and now it is also award-winning cheese."