Australian Artisan Cheese Wins Top Honors at UK Competition
Long Paddock Cheese, an artisan cheese producer located in Castlemaine, Victoria, Australia, has achieved significant recognition at the International Cheese & Dairy Awards held in the United Kingdom. The company was awarded the Best Australian Cheese title for its Banksia cheese, a semi-hard variety crafted with organic cow's milk. This cheese, inspired by traditional French Alpine tommes, also won its category.
In addition to the top award, Long Paddock Cheese secured several other accolades. The Driftwood cheese, wrapped in a spruce bark and produced in the Alpine Vacherin style, received a silver medal. Another silver was awarded to the Granite cheese, which is made in a traditional cloth-matured cheddar style. The Bluestone cheese, a blue variety, earned a bronze medal.
Gaetan Chapon, co-director of Long Paddock Cheese, expressed pride in the accomplishments, noting the high level of competition and rigorous evaluation process involved in the awards. He emphasized that the recognition is a testament to the dedication of the team and the quality of their products, especially given the strong field of Australian competitors.
The International Cheese & Dairy Awards, established in 1897, are known for their blind tasting evaluations by a panel of over 250 judges, including graders, buyers, and technical experts. The results are closely watched by retail buyers and export distributors, making international recognition a valuable asset for smaller producers.
Based in The Mill complex in Castlemaine, Long Paddock Cheese operates a single production unit and supplies its products across Australia. The organic milk used in their cheese production is sourced from one farm, and the company also runs a cheese-making school.
Chapon highlighted the pride in achieving international recognition despite the geographical distance, attributing it to the support from the local community and the team's efforts. The company has a history of success, with the Banksia cheese previously winning a gold medal at the Mondial du Fromage in France in 2025.
