There are cheesy grins all round at Nottinghamshire-based Cropwell Bishop Creamery, after their Blue Stilton was named Supreme Champion at The Nantwich International Cheese Show, the largest and most prestigious cheese show in the world. The show attracted 2,716 entries from 24 different countries and to be named Supreme Champion is a huge accolade. Cropwell Bishop were certainly the cream of the crop this year picking up a further 5 gold medals in different classes and last month their organic Stilton won the reserve supreme title at The Great Yorkshire Show.
The timing couldn't be better for the Skailes family who run Cropwell Bishop, it is 60 years since Frank Skailes bought the small creamery in the Nottinghamshire village. Today, his sons and grandsons still run and manage the business.
Ian and David Skailes have been joint managing directors since 1981 and their sons, Robin and Ben, have recently joined the family business too. This is very much a business steeped in tradition and whilst some of the equipment used has now been modernised the process of making Stilton has changed very little over the years, with every cheese being mixed, turned and rubbed up by hand.
Ian Skailes, Managing Director, Cropwell Bishop Creamery said: “The International Cheese Show is an important show in the industry and we are delighted that our Stilton won the much coveted Supreme Champion Trophy. We have been in the cheese-making business for over 60 years on the same site, concentrating on producing high quality, great tasting cheese and it always gives us great pleasure to collect prestigious accolades such as this.”
He added: “This gives us an excellent platform to encourage chefs and restaurateurs to give Cropwell Bishop Stilton and Shropshire Blue pride of place on their menus.”
Cropwell Bishop cheese is available from major cheese distributors throughout the UK.
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