Mainland’s Heritage Makes It A Winner
Winning at New Zealand’s premier cheese awards has given Mainland even more reasons to celebrate its 50-year heritage.
At last night’s Cuisine Champions of Cheese Awards gala dinner Mainland won three categories. They were:
§ Champion Blue Cheese - Mainland Special Reserve Blue Vein
§ Champion Aged Cheddar - Mainland Anniversary Cheddar
§ Champion Young Cheddar - Mainland Vegetarian Mild Cheddar
Last night, Mainland also won more medals across its portfolio than any other brand, with a massive medal count of 36,
including 11 gold, 15 silver and 10 bronze.
Announcing the Awards, Master Judge John Greeley, from the United States, commented that New Zealand blue cheeses are of
an extremely high quality and are perfectly represented by the Mainland Special Reserve Blue Vein which has a delicious
sharp piquant flavour.
“The Mainland cheddar range is also particularly strong. The Anniversary Cheddar has a tangy aftertaste with a hint of
sweetness. It has a firm but crumbly texture and is a quality mature cheddar that to me embodies a slice of kiwi life.”
Andrew Smith, General Manager Marketing for Fonterra Brands New Zealand, said he was especially delighted with the
number of category champion awards because they demonstrated the depth of the Mainland portfolio.
“When a cheese maker can win cheddar as well as blue cheese accolades it shows that we are masters of many cheese
specialties. Our 50-year heritage has provided us with the know-how to create the very best cheeses in the country
across the total cheese category,“ he said.
“In fact our very own Richelle Ward was last night crowned as Champion Cheesemaker, illustrating the depth of knowledge
and commitment to developing specialist cheeses that saw Mainland shine through at last night’s Awards.”
Andrew Smith said that the Mainland brand values of quality, strength of flavour, integrity and innovation through
craftsmanship are encompassed in the “Good Things Take Time” philosophy, which supports the brand’s premium positioning.
“Mainland has gained the role of being the leader in innovation, while retaining a strong sense of heritage across the
portfolio. The Mainland Cheddar Master’s range represents our strength in cheddar and the slow, considered maturation
process involved in making such cheeses.
“In contrast, the Mainland Special Reserve range introduces new taste sensations to the consumer with the endorsement of
the Mainland brand, which in turn makes the flavour of our cheeses accessible to the New Zealand palate”.
Andrew said that Mainland started in a small Dunedin factory 50 years ago with the founding vision to bring the strength
of taste developed through the aging process of South Island cheddar to all Kiwis.
Today Mainland is taking on the rest of the world: it is now the largest cheese brand in Australia and is also being
exported to an increasing number of countries internationally.
The champion cheeses are readily accessible in supermarkets and grocery stores throughout New Zealand