International quality awards for Dale Farm’s market leading Dromona cheddar cheeses
DALE Farm, Northern Ireland’s leading producer of cheddar cheese varieties, gained a series of prestigious awards at the 2025 International Cheese and Dairy Awards (ICDA), which attracted a record number of entries championing world class cheese and dairy products.
Dale Farm produces cheddar varieties at Dunmanbridge, near Cookstown, one of Europe’s most modern cheese processing plants.
The Northern Ireland producer, which draws milk from hundreds of local farms, gained gold for its mild cheddar, silvers for mature and extra mature cheddars and bronzes for mature and vintage cheddars.
In addition, Dale Farm won gold for the Best Irish cheese at the show and bronze for Irish cheddar.
Two golds followed for the Best Retail mild cheddar and for Best Retail mature cheddar.
Dale Farm has 1,300 dairy farmer members, mostly in Northern Ireland, in the co-operative business. The cooperative is centred around helping sustain family dairy farms for generations.
Upwards of 5,500 cheeses were entered from across the world for judging at the ICDAs in Staffordshire Showground, Stafford, in conjunction with the International Cheese and Dairy Expo.
Winning a prestigious award means being part of an elite group, and 125 year old tradition of the very best in class. Success brings high profile recognition by UK retailers and on the international stage as well as increased consumer sales.