Fonterra Brands’ Eltham Bridge Street wins big at 2023 NZ Cheese Awards

Master cheesemaker Cathy Lang hand-flipping the Kāpiti cheese. Photo/ Supplied

Fonterra Brands’ Bridge Street site in Eltham may be small but they’re winning big.

The site won 39 medals at the recent New Zealand Champions of Cheese Awards for their Mainland and Kāpiti cheeses, winning 11 golds, 14 silvers and 14 bronze medals. All except one of the gold-winning Kāpiti speciality cheeses are made at the Bridge Street site.

The cheese factory has been in Eltham for more than a century. In open cheese vats, the cheesemakers add ingredients, set the milk into curd, cut the curd with wire cutters, add the curds into the cheese hoops and turn and salt it – all by hand.

The winning cheeses include Kāpiti Bridge Street blue and ash brie, which are both from the new Kāpiti Artisan range of cheeses created by master cheesemaker Cathy Lang.

“We are so thrilled that our very new cheese range won medals the first time they were entered in the awards.”

A small vat is used for Kāpiti Artisan cheeses. Photo/ Supplied

Last year, Cathy won the title of NZ Champion Cheesemaker at the awards and has been invited to judge at this year’s International Cheese and Dairy Awards in June.

Cathy says a huge amount of work goes into preparing for these awards so she is very proud to see the team at Bridge Street recognised for their efforts.

“The team first work out what cheeses will be entered and start the planning process months ahead so it’s at perfect maturity in time for the judging,” she says.

Full list of winning cheeses

Gold: Mainland: epicure aged cheddar. Kāpiti: washed rind, Bridge Street blue (two golds), ash rind white (two golds), creamy blue, premium aged cheddar, smoked havarti (two golds) and chilli and garlic.

Silver: Mainland: tasty, vintage, colby. Kāpiti: extra creamy blue (two silvers), creamy camembert, bold blue, aged cheddar (two silvers), aged cheddar- blackcurrant (two silvers), creamy havarti, cumin seed gouda and herb and garlic.

Bronze: Mainland: tasty, tasty light, mild, swiss, smoked aged cheddar. Kāpiti: tomme style (two bronze), triple cream blue (two bronze), premium aged cheddar, smoked cheddar, gruyere style and gouda.