Four more awards for Bothwell Cheese.

Mike Raftis, Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Communications says they had a great showing at last week's British Empire Cheese Show in Belleville, Ontario. Raftis says they took first place with both their Mild Cheddar and Monterey Jack, second place with their Old Cheddar Muenster and third place with their Parmesan.

"We're all very proud over here," says Raftis.

The British Empire Cheese Show is put on by the Central Ontario Cheesemaker Association, founded in 1928. Raftis says the show was created to give cheesemakers an opportunity to compete against others in the British Empire. In 2016, it was attended by only Canadian cheesemakers. Raftis notes Bothwell Cheese has been competing at this show since 2005, with the exception of one year.

With the win, Bothwell's Mild Cheddar has now claimed top spot twice in the past three years. Two years ago it had the highest scoring Cheddar in the Small Plant category. As for their Monterey Jack, Raftis says they first won in that category in 2009 and have now won five of the last eight years.

"It's such a big win for our team, for all our employees to know that all their hard work and dedication is really paying off in our focus on quality," says Raftis. "Anytime you can place well in a competition that's judged by your peers, other cheesemakers, it's a very proud moment for the team and for myself."

Raftis admits, when it comes to cheese, there are a lot of choices out there, noting it is a very competitive field. And by claiming wins like this, he says it proves they are making a high-quality product. Bothwell Cheese has been producing cheese for eight decades and Raftis says they continue to stay true to their roots by producing quality cheese with 100% fresh, local milk.

According to Raftis, the British Empire Cheese Show is the top cheese competition in Canada. It is also one of the longest running cheese shows in the world.