AN Ilchester cheese supplier has scooped seven accolades at the prestigious International Cheese Awards in Staffordshire. 

Norseland was recognised across several categories for its dairy and plant-based products, both produced in its Somerset manufacturing base, on June 30.

Lisa Harrison, Norseland's marketing manager, said: “We are over the moon with the number of awards that we have won at the International Cheese Awards 2022, which are highly respected in the industry and across the world.

“The competition is always very tough, so we are really thrilled that our cheeses, including both dairy and plant-based, have been recognised.

“And the icing on the cake is the gold award for the Ilchester Vegan Melting Mature in the dairy-free cheese alternative category - the first award for our newest plant-based ‘cheeze’.”

Norseland's Vegan Melting Mature was the first ‘cheeze’ from its blended and snacking cheese brand, Ilchester.

Norseland also won the silver award in the category for ‘Cheese - any variety that contains savoury additives’ for its Ilchester Double Gloucester onion and chives.

The company's Mexicana Deli Cheese - a British cheddar packed with bell and jalapeño chilli peppers - was awarded gold in the Best Retailer Chilli Blended Cheese category.

In the Best Scandinavian Cheese category, its Snofrisk Goats Cheese took the top prize, and its Gudbrandsdalen cheese received the silver award.

Snofrisk Goats Cheese is a semi-hard cheese with a tangy yet mild taste of goat's milk, and Gudbrandsdalen has a brown fudge-like appearance and a distinct taste of caramel.

Its multi-award-winning Applewood Vegan product, the plant-based alternative to the UK's number one smoky cheese, won the silver award for Dairy Free Cheese Alternative in the ‘Cheese - any variety that contains savoury additives' category.

Norseland launched Applewood Vegan in October 2019, becoming the UK's first major cheese brand to launch a vegan cheese alternative. The silver award is the ninth award for its vegan ‘cheeze’.

Applewood Vegan also secured bronze in the ‘Smoked Flavour Added Cheese' category.