The team at West Yorkshire based Yorkshire Pecorino Cheese are celebrating after picking up several prestigious trophies, including The Best English Cheese, at the recent Artisan Cheese Awards.
The Otley based business, run by Mario Olianas and partner Sonia were awarded 5 medals in total including a Gold, Best English Cheese and Best Semi-Soft Cheese for their Yorkshire Pecorino Fresco and Golds for their Yorkshire Fiore and Yorkshire Leeds Blue.
Having worked in catering in the Italian mountains, owner Mario moved to Yorkshire in 2001 and began selling homemade Italian produce at several farmers markets throughout the region, before moving into cheese production, and Yorkshire Pecorino was born.
Using locally sourced ingredients including ewes’ milk from nearby farms, the team now produce a range of multi award-winning cheeses, exclusively supplying smaller independent retailers as well as continuing to sell direct to the public at markets.
Sonia said: “It was a great surprise to be awarded The Best English Cheese, as we really did not expect that award. We’re thrilled with the results and delighted that the judges enjoyed our products.”
Run annually, the awards are open to British and Irish producers and are unique in that they focus on business producing less than 400 tons annually, ranging from medium sized producers, down to start-up micro cheesemakers.
The judging panel included wholesalers, cheesemongers, retailers and deli owners from across the industry as well as bloggers and writers from the Academy of Cheese, with the winners announced at a cheesemakers candle-lit supper awards ceremony in St Mary’s Church, Melton Mowbray last month.
For more information and to buy their range online visit www.yorkshirepecorino.co.uk