Meet the SA team behind the 3rd best cheese in the world
What do you need to make a winning cheese? Good milk and a good team! Luckily Dalewood Fromage from Simondium has both. Dalewood’s Huguenot was crowned the joint third best cheese in the world at the 2017 World Cheese Awards (WCA) in London (together with an Austrian Capellaro from Almenland Stollenkaese). The Huguenot was also chosen as the 2017 World Champion Jersey cheese and was awarded the Agri-Expo trophy for the Best South African Cheese at the WCA. The WCA is the planet’s biggest ‘cheese-only’ competition with 3 000 cheeses from 35 countries judged by 230 judges from 29 countries.
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In December, Agri-Expo held an award ceremony to congratulate Dalewood’s team of 60 staff members, from the dairy and the cheesery to management. Agri-Expo handed over a certificate to Dalewood and international cheese judge Kobus Mulder explained the judging process and surprised some of the team members with special gifts. Lukas Mehlomakhulu, longest serving dairy staff member, received a wooden figurine of a milkman and his family (from the North of Kenya) that symbolises the importance of milk as food. Nellie Fischer, head of cheese production at Dalewood, was trained in Burgundy (made possible by the Western Cape Department of Agriculture). Therefore Mulder gave her a figurine, portraying the role of the woman as cheesemaker, he received from a cheese making family in the East of France. Rob and Petrina Visser were presented with “the biggest cheese drill for the biggest cheese”, which Mulder years ago bought for £5 in a small town in England. It was made by Sutherland & Thompson (the official supplier of salt to the cheese and butter industry in the UK) and can extract a plug from a 25 kg block of butter or a 40 pound block of Cheddar.
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According to Johan Ehlers, Chief Executive Officer of Agri-Expo, it is an exceptional achievement to be crowned as one of the top cheeses in the world at the WCA: “We would like to congratulate Rob and Petrina Visser and their whole team – the international recognition of Dalewood’s speciality cheese is well-earned.”
Agri-Expo has been involved in the dairy industry since 1834 and is the organiser of the SA Dairy Championships and the SA Cheese Festival. In 2000, Agri-Expo launched the Qualité mark for dairy products of outstanding quality. For more information, visit www.agriexpo.co.za, follow Agri-Expo on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, or contact Agri-Expo at 021 975 4440 or admin@agriexpo.co.za.
Ontmoet die SA-span agter die 3de beste kaas in die wêreld
Wat het jy nodig om ‘n wenkaas te maak? Goeie melk én ‘n goeie span! Gelukkig beskik Dalewood Fromage van Simondium oor albei. Dalewood se Huguenot is by die 2017 World Cheese Awards in Londen as die gesamentlike 3de beste kaas in die wêreld aangewys (saam met ’n Oostenrykse Capellaro van Almenland Stollenkaese). Die Huguenot is ook as die 2017 Wêreldkampioen Jersey-kaas aangewys en is bekroon met die Agri-Expo-ltrofee vir die Beste Suid-Afrikaanse Kaas by die WCA. Dit is die wêreld se grootste kaaskompetisie met 230 beoordelaars van 29 lande wat 3 000 kase van 35 lande beoordeel.
Agri-Expo het in Desember ‘n prysoorhandingsgeleentheid gehou om Dalewood se span van 60 personeellede, van die melkery en die kaasmakery tot die bestuur, geluk te wens. Agri-Expo het ‘n sertifikaat aan Dalewood oorhandig, terwyl die internasionale kaasbeoordelaar Kobus Mulder oor die beoordelingsproses gesels het en ‘n paar spanlede met spesiale geskenke verras het. Lukas Mehlomakhulu, langsdienende lid van die melkspan, het ‘n houtbeeldjie van ‘n melkman en sy gesin uit Noord-Kenia wat die belangrikheid van melk as voedsel uitbeeld, ontvang. Nellie Fischer, hoof van kaasproduksie by Dalewood, is in Boergondië opgelei (moontlik gemaak deur die Wes-Kaapse Departement van Landbou). Daarom het Mulder ‘n beeldjie (wat die rol van die vrou as kaasmaker uitbeeld) wat hy van ‘n kaasmaak-gesin in die Ooste van Frankryk ontvang het, aan Fischer geskenk. Rob en Petrina Visser het die “grootste kaasboor vir die grootste kaas” ontvang, wat Mulder jare gelede vir £5 in ‘n klein dorpie in Engeland gekoop het. Dit is vervaardig deur Sutherland & Thompson (amptelike verskaffer van sout aan die kaas- en botterbedryf in die VK) en kan ‘n boorsel uit ‘n 25 kg-blok botter of ‘n 40 pond-blok Cheddar trek.
Volgens Johan Ehlers, Hoof Uitvoerende Beampte van Agri-Expo, is dit ‘n besonderse prestasie om by die WCA as een van die top-kase in die wêreld bekroon te word: “Ons wens graag vir Rob en Petrina Visser en hulle hele span geluk – hierdie internasionale erkenning vir Dalewood se spesialiskaas is welverdiend.”
Agri-Expo is sedert 1834 in die SA Suiwelbedryf betrokke en is die organiseerder van die SA Suiwelkampioenskappe en die SA Kaasfees. Agri-Expo het die Qualité-merk vir suiwelprodukte van uitstaande gehalte in 2000 bekendgestel. Vir meer inligting, besoek www.agriexpo.co.za, volg Agri-Expo op Facebook, Twitter of Instagram, of kontak Agri-Expo by 021 975 4440 of admin@agriexpo.co.za.
