Media Release 6 March 2007
Blue-Ribbons for Blue Veins
Fonterra Brands (New Zealand) Ltd has been awarded the top honour and a slew of major awards at the 2008 Cuisine NZ
Champions of Cheese Awards.
Firstly, Ferndale Maestro Blue beat more than 400 of the finest NZ specialty cheeses to be crowned the Taylor’s Port
Champion of Champions, living up to its name as the master. To be considered for this honour Ferndale Maestro Blue also
won its category as Ecolab Champion Blue Cheese Award. Maestro Blue’s cheesemaker Keven Saywell, based at Fonterra’s
Eltham factory, was honoured as Hospitality Magazine Champion Cheesemaker.
Judges praised Ferndale Maestro as an excellent example of a European style of cheese that had transitioned into a true
Kiwi blue. Aged for six weeks, it has a rustic feel but a creamy palate. Awards Master Judge, Australian Neil Willman,
said when he tasted Maestro Blue he thought “this is just so close to perfection”.
Another iconic Kiwi blue and New Zealand’s most-awarded cheese, Kapiti Kikorangi, again excelled to pick up both the New
Zealand Trade & Enterprise Champion Export Cheese Award and the New World Champion Favourite Cheese Award, as decided by New World
sales information.
“To win both the people’s choice and the export category is exciting for an already iconic Kapiti cheese as it covers
both existing and emerging markets. We are proud that the public support for Kapiti Kikorangi remains strong,” say Gina
Klarwill, Kapiti Senior Brand Manager.
“20 years ago in New Zealand blue cheese was seen as something a bit on the dark side,” said Awards MC Vic Williams,
“Tonight it’s both the consumer’s favourite cheese and our top export cheese.”
Mainland Special Reserve’s Blue Vein won gold in the blue cheese category while Kapiti Kahurangi won gold in the
Champion New Cheese category to round off a stellar night for Fonterra Brands’ blue cheese stable.
Not to be overshadowed by the blues, Kapiti Ramara won the New World Champion Washed Rind Cheese Award and Kapiti NZ
Parmesan won the Foodtown Woolworths Champion European Style Cheese Award. Kapiti Ramara is a small red washed rind
cheese speckled with white mould and is very much a cheesemakers’ cheese favourite.
Kapiti and Ferndale’s success at the 2008 Cuisine Champions of Cheese Awards shows that Fonterra Brands can create
cheeses on a large and small scale. From the Kapiti Ramara, made in 60kg batches, to the sale of 1.5 million 1kg blocks
of Mainland cheese every year, Fonterra Brands proves that irrespective of their size, they can retain the artisan
quality of the Kapiti and Ferndale brands.
ENDS
Fonterra Brands (NZ) Category Winners:
Taylor’s Port Champion of Champions Award
Ferndale Maestro Blue - Fonterra Brands NZ
New World Champion Washed Rind Cheese Award
Kapiti Ramara – Fonterra Brands NZ
Ecolab Champion Blue Cheese Award
Ferndale Maestro Blue – Fonterra Brands NZ
Foodtown Woolworths Champion European Style Cheese Award
Kapiti NZ Parmesan – Fonterra Brands NZ
New Zealand Trade & Enterprise Champion Export Cheese Award
Kapiti Kikorangi – Fonterra Brands NZ
New World Champion Favourite Cheese Award
Kapiti Kikorangi – Fonterra Brands NZ
Hospitality Magazine Champion Cheesemaker
Keven Saywell, cheesemaker at Fonterra Eltham