SALSA plus Cheese Sets the Standard

The Artisan Cheese Awards and Virtual Cheese Awards have become cornerstones of the UK’s specialist dairy calendar, spotlighting excellence, innovation, and tradition in British cheesemaking. These nationally recognised competitions celebrate the skill and dedication of small and independent producers, offering a vital platform for emerging talent and heritage creameries alike. With judging panels comprising of top buyers, cheesemongers and technical experts, these awards serve as a mark of quality and a gateway to wider commercial success, including listings with major retailers such as Waitrose.

This year’s results have been a particular triumph for SALSA Approved cheesemakers, with the following winners holding the SALSA plus Cheese certification – a powerful testament to the standard’s role in supporting top-tier quality and compliance across the UK's artisan cheese sector.

Virtual Cheese Awards 2025: SALSA Members Sweep the Board

🏆Best Cheddar & Best Speciality Cheese: Extra Mature Cheddar and Ogleshield – J. A. & E. Montgomery Ltd (Somerset)

🏆Best Artisan Hard: Cornish Kern – Lynher Dairies (Cornwall)

🏆Best Artisan Cheese from Own Herd & Best Artisan Soft: Blackmount and Elrick Log – Errington Cheese Ltd (Scotland)

🏆Young Cheesemaker of the Year: Charlie Donaldson – High Weald Dairy (West Sussex)

These champions will now be invited to Waitrose HQ to showcase their cheese to national buyers, with the opportunity for selected winners to gain listings on Waitrose & Partners Cheese Counters.

Artisan Cheese Awards 2025: SALSA Cheesemakers Lead by Example

🏆Best English Cheese: Double Gloucester – Daylesford Organics

🏆Best Scottish Cheese: Isle of Mull Cheddar – Isle of Mull Cheese

🏆Best Welsh Cheese: Thelma’s Original Caerffili – Caws Cenarth

🏆Micro Cheesemaker Award & Best New Cheese: ‘Derwent White’ – Wakebridge Manor Farm Creamery

🏆Best Soft Cheese: Slack ma Girdle – Charles Martell & Son Ltd

The SALSA plus Cheese Advantage

These awards reinforce the value of SALSA plus Cheese certification, a standard developed in partnership with the Specialist Cheesemakers Association (SCA) to reflect the needs of the UK’s small and micro-dairy sector.

By combining rigorous food safety and quality assurance with a deep understanding of artisan production, SALSA plus Cheese provides cheesemakers with a competitive edge, fostering growth, creating retail opportunities and strengthening consumer confidence.

Congratulations to all our award-winning members – you are putting SALSA plus Cheese firmly on the map!

To learn more about how SALSA plus Cheese could benefit your business, visit SALSA plus Cheese