New Award to Recognise New Zealand Cheese Retailers

Friday 1 February 2019

The New Zealand Specialist Cheesemakers Association (NZSCA) will recognise excellence in cheese retailing with a new accolade at its 2019 NZ Champions of Cheese Awards.

NZSCA chair, Neil Willman says the Huntley & Palmers Favourite NZ Cheese Shopping Experience 2019 will recognise retailers’ efforts to promote New Zealand cheese. He says the award also provides an opportunity for the Association to raise the profile of New Zealand-made cheese and explain to consumers the reasons to buy local.

Retailers being considered for Huntley & Palmers Favourite NZ Cheese Shopping Experience retailers must first be nominated by the public. Following nomination, they will be invited to answer questions about how they sell cheese and mature cheese and what they do to educate their staff and customers. Following this process judging will be undertaken by a panel from the NZSCA.

Neil Willman says the judging panel will select a short list of finalists from; Auckland, Wellington, the Rest of North Island, Christchurch and the Rest of South Island. The winner of the Huntley & Palmers Favourite NZ Cheese Shopping Experience will be announced at the 2019 New Zealand Champion of Cheese Awards in Hamilton on Tuesday 21 May.

Throughout February, cheese lovers who nominate their favourite New Zealand cheese store online via the Association website https://nzsca.org.nz/ and Cheese Lovers NZ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/CheeseLoversNZ/ will go into the draw to win a NZ Cheese and Huntley & Palmers Hamper.

The timeline for Huntley & Palmers Favourite NZ Cheese Shopping Experience is:

• February 2019 – cheese lovers nominate their favourite New Zealand cheese retailer

• Early March – NZSCA contacts nominated retailers and asks them to complete their entry

• 30 April – Judging completed

• Tuesday 21 May 2019 – NZ Champions of Cheese of Awards announced including Huntley & Palmers Favourite NZ Cheese Shopping Experience

NZSCA has been running the New Zealand Champions of Cheese Awards since 2003 and will judge the 16th annual awards at AUT School of Hospitality and Tourism on Sunday 24 February 2019. Huntley & Palmers Favourite NZ Cheese Shopping Experience will be one of 26 trophies announced at the Awards three course gala dinner at the Distinction Hamilton Hotel and Conference Centre on Tuesday 21 May. NZSCA is expecting more than 200 guests to attend.

ENDS.

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