At the prestigious 2017 Dairy Industry Association of Australia (DIAA) Awards, Beston won the title Best Cheddar Cheese in Australia and the Christian Hansen Cup for its Beston Pure Foods (Edwards Crossing) Matured Cheddar Cheese.
The company also won a total of 19 gold and silver medals, achieving medal recognition for every product that was nominated in the Awards.
The results come just 18 months after Beston re-established cheese making at Murray Bridge.
The Mable’s cream cheese label, which BFC acquired in September 2016 and shifted production from Victoria to its factory at Murray Bridge, was awarded one gold medal and 5 silver medals.
Beston Pure Foods whey powder was also awarded a gold medal, the only product to achieve gold status in its class.
The whey powder is produced at the Jervois factory which BFC also acquired in September 2015 in conjunction with the Murray Bridge cheese factory, after the business of the former United Dairy Power (UDP) went into Receivership.
“To follow up from our success in the SA Dairy Awards in 2016, where we won Champion Cheddar, and then to take out the National Award for the Best Cheddar Cheese in Australia at these highly competitive industry awards is quite extraordinary,” BFC Chairman Dr Roger Sexton said.
“We believe our cheese makers are world-class and we are excited about the future of the products being produced in our factories at Murray Bridge and Jervois.
“Winning 19 Awards, plus the Christian Hansen Cup reinforced the strategy of BFC to focus on the production of premium food products and create a market niche where we could be a ‘price maker’ rather than a ‘price taker’ as with commodity type products.
“The timing could not be better as we introduce our food service range of Beston Pure cheeses and launch our Edwards Crossing and Mable’s cheese ranges nationally across Australian independent supermarkets and convenience stores this month, including many IGA and Foodland stores.”