Golden glow in national awards for delicious Cookstown cheddar cheese

The winning cheddar is produced by Dale Farm, Northern Ireland’s biggest dairy business, which picked up an impressive total of 13 awards at the International Cheese & Dairy Awards & EXPO (ICDA) at Bingley Hall, Staffordshire. Dale Farm is a FoodNI member.

Dale Farm, a farmers’ co-operative collected two golds, three silver and eight bronze medals for its successful Dromona range that includes vintage and mature cheddars from its processing plant at Dunman, near Cookstown, now one of the most advanced cheese units in Europe. Among the golds was one for ‘Best Retailer Cheddar’.

ICDA is a two-day competition where expert judges assess the finest products in the industry from across the world.

The internationally acclaimed cheddar is produced by the operations and retail team at Dunman, just outside Cookstown, who make and cut the cheddar which is then graded team for quality and taste.

ICDA is the world’s longest-running and largest dairy awards scheme. For over 125 years, it has championed cheese and dairy producers - offering a fair, respected, and internationally recognised platform to showcase quality, craftsmanship and innovation. The event attracted around 5,000 entries from more than 20 countries and is a fully independent, not-for-profit and industry driven.

Judges assessed the full spectrum of dairy production - from traditional Cheddar and Red Leicester to butter, cream, yogurt, dips, and plant-based innovations. The overall ICDA was Lactalis, a cheese from New Zealand.

Dale Farm operates as a major dairy cooperative in the UK, owned by 1,300 dairy farmers across Northern Ireland, England, and Scotland. The company’s product portfolio is rooted in grass-fed, Red Tractor-assured dairy. The cooperative, one of Ireland’s biggest dairy enterprises, offers a range of core health attributes spanning fresh milk, functional drinks, ice cream, yogurt and sports nutrition.