Entering a global cheese competition for feedback turned into a surprise silver medal for one Victorian milk processor.
Australian Consolidated Milk (ACM) took home second place at the prestigious World Championship Cheese Contest in the US recently.
The competition includes 3,375 dairy products from 25 countries and 34 US states and territories.
ACM’s aged cheddar (1–2 years) - known as Girgarre Cheddar - scored an outstanding 99.065 out of 100 - placing second out of 61 entries in its category.
ACM general manager quality, Glen Hamson, said the result was unexpected but a strong endorsement of both the product and the process behind it.
“We entered the competition simply to benchmark ourselves and get feedback from international judges - we certainly didn’t expect to come home with a silver medal,” Mr Hamson said.
“To achieve a score of 99.065, with judges noting excellent block shape and very few defects, is an incredible result for our team.”
Judging at the contest is highly technical, with cheeses scored out of 100 and points deducted for flavour, body and texture defects - making ACM’s near-perfect result all the more significant.
What makes the achievement even more remarkable is ACM’s relatively recent entry into cheesemaking, producing its first cheese at its Girgarre facility in September 2020.
The award-winning cheddar was made in June 2024.
“To be recognised at this level within just four years of making cheese is something we’re really proud of,” Mr Hamson said.
“This result gives our customers confidence they are buying a high-quality product, and it opens the door for new conversations both domestically and internationally.”
Cheese is a growing part of ACM’s business, with products supplied to both manufacturing customers and retail markets.
This award also highlights the cheese’s ability to mature well - a key attribute for premium cheddar.
“As with good wine, good cheese improves over time,” Mr Hamson said.
“This award confirms our cheddar develops the flavour profile customers are looking for in a well-aged product.”
This result also underscores the importance of milk quality.
“This award is great recognition for our group of dedicated suppliers producing the milk on farm day in, day out. You can only make good cheese from good milk,” Mr Hamson said.
“Our milk supply, with consistently low bulk milk cell counts, plays a critical role in achieving the quality outcomes we’ve seen.”
Australia performed strongly across the competition, reinforcing its global reputation for high-quality, sustainably produced dairy.
Mr Hamson said the result was not only a win for ACM, but for the broader Australian dairy industry.
“There’s some excellent cheese being produced across the country, and competitions like this provide an important benchmark,” he said.
“It’s a great story for Australian dairy and shows we can stand shoulder to shoulder with the best in the world.”