Kapiti's "Port Nicholson" Cheese Proves A Winner

Kapiti's "Port Nicholson" Cheese Proves A Winner

The Kapiti Fine Foods cheese brand named after Wellington Harbour - Port Nicholson - won the champion Washed Rind Category at last night's New Zealand Cheese Awards in Auckland.

The mild, orange rind cheese is made in the style of the French Port Salute cheese, so when it came to naming it, the Kapiti cheesemaker called it "Port Nicholson".

Port Nicholson was the first-ever wash rind cheese made and marketed in New Zealand.

Kapiti Fine Foods Chief Executive Greig Shearer said this morning that this award for a cheese which had been on the market for many years "confirmed the quality and consistency of Kapiti's cheese making.

"This is a 'golden oldie' of cheeses, even in the face of so much innovation by our company and others."

The chief judge for this year's cheese awards, US cheese connoisseur John Greeley, said this year's awards celebrated "good cheese making, not popularity".

He also commented on New Zealand milk, saying that it was the best he had ever drunk, and a great raw material to make cheese from. "I like to try the milk wherever I travel. New Zealand milk has a big flavour profile, but is still very refreshing."

33 medals for Kapiti

In this year's cheese awards Kapiti Fine Foods won a total of 33 medals - eight Gold, 11 Silver and 14 Bronze.

Greig Shearer said he had much pleasure in congratulating the company's cheesemakers.

"Kapiti has had a longstanding tradition of producing high quality, innovative cheeses by working with its chefs and foodservice customers. It is refreshing to see this work recognised by arguably the most highly qualified cheese judging panel ever brought together in New Zealand."

He said the award also demonstrated the very high quality of New Zealand cheeses overall, from the very large companies, through to the boutique ones and to the very small. "This is something we can all be proud of."

© Scoop Media