National award for Ballylisk cheese

Ballylisk of Armagh has been named Best Regional Cheese for Northern Ireland for its Triple Rose cheese in the prestigious UK Virtual Awards 2022.

Based in Portadown, Ballylisk has won a host of awards for its Triple Rose cheeses since the launch of the brand in 2016 using milk from the Wright family dairy farm, which is located outside Tandragee.

Mark Wright, who now runs the cheese business, welcomed the latest, saying: “We are thrilled to receive this important recognition, which is a tremendous endorsement of the quality and taste of our cheeses.

“The award will be enormously beneficial as we seek to build our business in Britain.”

The Virtual Cheese Awards was co-founded in 2020 by cheese and dairy consultant Sarah de Wit to celebrate and support the UK’s cheese industry during the pandemic.

The judging process is completely transparent and open to everyone, regardless of whether they are a curd connoisseur or a rookie.

The unique process helps celebrate creativity and gives cheesemakers valuable feedback from some of the most influential cheese experts in the country.

Sarah de Wit explains: “We only started the Virtual Cheese Awards as a one-off in the pandemic so it’s so amazing to see how it has grown in its third year.

“The passion, prowess and perfectionist nature of the British cheese industry was woven into every aspect of the 2022 awards and was a showcase for how our industry is the best in the world bar none.”

The awards are unique as they allow entrants to see their cheese judged live and get instant feedback.

sThe purpose of the awards is to create a sustainable, inclusive and transparent cheese awards that support and celebrate British cheesemakers from the grassroots up.

They are also focused on celebrating the diversity and quality of British dairy as well as nurturing talent to help promote a sustainable and thriving industry to consumers.

In addition, the awards generate publicity, awareness and a route to market for entrants and provide detailed and transparent feedback to cheese producers from the industry’s leading experts.