Awards
NZMP cheeses clean up at the NZ Champions of Cheese Awards 2023
NZMP cheeses delight judges across multiple categories at this year’s prestigious NZ Champions of Cheese Awards
13 Apr 2023
2 min
NZMP is pleased to continue our success at the New Zealand Cheese Awards with another 14 medals including five gold, five silver and four bronze medals.
Recognising our high quality standards and innovation within the industry, this year we won 14 awards for our cheese and cream cheese products across six categories. Our five gold winners will now go on to the Champion of Champions Awards in May.
The New Zealand Champion of Cheese Awards are coordinated by the New Zealand Specialist Cheesemakers Association (NZSCA). Recognising technical excellence in the manufacture of New Zealand cheese, these prestigious awards are judged by an independent panel of industry experts. By showcasing the extraordinary diversity and quality of New Zealand cheeses, the awards grow awareness and appreciation for these locally produced products.
Championing the unique qualities of our cheeses
New Zealand’s cheese industry is thriving and demand continues to grow on an international scale. NZMP cheeses are world renowned for their range of exceptional characteristics that suit many applications and tastes. These awards are a chance to celebrate our rich dairy heritage, scientific expertise and innovative know-how. These awards also acknowledge that NZMP makes some of the finest cheeses that New Zealand has to offer.
Explore NZMP's award winning cheeses below:
NZMP Special Reserve Cheddar
Gold Award Winner
| Our Special Reserve depicts elite and well-rounded flavours associated with a vintage Cheddar. With a balance of acid and savoury notes and a hint of sweetness, the texture of this cheese is slightly crumbly yet still smooth enough to cut and shred. |
Organic Cheddar
| Gold award winner |
| Manufactured using fresh organic milk that is independently certified to internationally accepted standards. |
| Made in Hautapu |
Egmont
| Gold award winner |
| A young, semi-hard cheese with a unique, slightly sweet flavour and golden melt. A versatile cheese that blends well and lends itself to any application. |
| Made in Hautapu |
NZMP Epicure
Gold Award Winner
| Intensely flavoured but still well balanced, NZMP’s Epicure has a strong, flavoursome taste and a firm, crumbly texture. Its sharp acidity is balanced with savoury nutty and subtle fruity notes. |
Organic Cheddar
| Gold award winner |
| Manufactured using fresh organic milk that is independently certified to internationally accepted standards. |
| Made in Hautapu |
Egmont
| Gold award winner |
| A young, semi-hard cheese with a unique, slightly sweet flavour and golden melt. A versatile cheese that blends well and lends itself to any application. |
| Made in Hautapu |
NZMP Traditional Cream Cheese
Gold Award Winner
| Traditionally cultured, giving it a balanced creamy and mild acidic flavour profile, NZMP’s Traditional Cream Cheese blends beautifully with sweet and savoury flavours. This award-winning cream cheese brings outstanding texture, taste and appearance to any recipe. |
Organic Cheddar
| Gold award winner |
| Manufactured using fresh organic milk that is independently certified to internationally accepted standards. |
| Made in Hautapu |
Egmont
| Gold award winner |
| A young, semi-hard cheese with a unique, slightly sweet flavour and golden melt. A versatile cheese that blends well and lends itself to any application. |
| Made in Hautapu |
NZMP High Solids Cream Cheese
Gold Award Winner
| This is a rich creamy, higher fat content ‘double cream’ cream cheese. NZMP High Solids Cream Cheese provides formulation flexibility for industrial applications, with the ability to add additional water phases to the recipe. It has a deliciously rich, mild, cultured flavour. |
Organic Cheddar
| Gold award winner |
| Manufactured using fresh organic milk that is independently certified to internationally accepted standards. |
| Made in Hautapu |
Egmont
| Gold award winner |
| A young, semi-hard cheese with a unique, slightly sweet flavour and golden melt. A versatile cheese that blends well and lends itself to any application. |
| Made in Hautapu |
NZMP Brine Salt Gouda
Gold Award Winner
| A flavoursome Gouda showing lovely buttery and sweet nutty notes with underlying fruity notes. This Gouda is produced using the more traditional method and has lovely flexibility which means it's great for slicing and shredding. |
Organic Cheddar
| Gold award winner |
| Manufactured using fresh organic milk that is independently certified to internationally accepted standards. |
| Made in Hautapu |
Egmont
| Gold award winner |
| A young, semi-hard cheese with a unique, slightly sweet flavour and golden melt. A versatile cheese that blends well and lends itself to any application. |
| Made in Hautapu |
NZMP Vintage Cheddar
Silver Award Winner
NZMP Mozzarella
Silver Award Winner
NZMP Parmesan
Silver Award Winner
NZMP Tasty Cheddar
Bronze Award Winner
Egmont
| Gold award winner |
| A young, semi-hard cheese with a unique, slightly sweet flavour and golden melt. A versatile cheese that blends well and lends itself to any application. |
| Made in Hautapu |
Egmont
| Gold award winner |
| A young, semi-hard cheese with a unique, slightly sweet flavour and golden melt. A versatile cheese that blends well and lends itself to any application. |
| Made in Hautapu |
Continuously striving for excellence
Recognition at these awards celebrates NZMP’s long history in cheesemaking, with our own culture house and vast range of high-quality cultures. The unique cultures we create are used in all NZMP cheese made in New Zealand. Our outstanding culture performance system underpins consistent, exceptional quality.
Unlock the NZMP advantage
Our rich dairy heritage, scientific expertise and commitment to food quality and safety, have helped us form a solid foundation for our innovative ingredients.
