Australian Grand Dairy Awards: Jindi takes Grand Champion
Announced at the Australian Grand Dairy Awards in Melbourne tonight, Victoria’s Jindi Old Telegraph Road Fire Engine Red has won the prestigious Grand Champion Award 2011 and Best of Category Award for Washed Rind Cheese.
Having won a bounty of local and international awards, the privately-owned specialty cheesemaker said this win has taken them higher in the cheese world.
“Our Brie first put Jindi on the map having won the Best Brie in the world in 1996, 2002 and 2004. This award for our Washed Rind confirms our two Champion Awards in the last 12 months at the Brisbane Cheese Awards and ASCA Melbourne Show. Our Blue also achieved the highest-ranking at the 2010 World Cheese contest. Naturally we are extremely proud of this success,” said Jindi’s cheesemaker, Franck Beaurain.
One of the largest specialty cheese manufacturers in Australia, Jindi Cheese is located in the heart of the Victorian dairy belt in West Gippsland.
Normandy-born Franck Beaurain joined the company with the objective of making the name Jindi synonymous with innovative quality cheese making.
“I am both proud and excited to see another of our wonderful cheeses awarded with this honour.” Franck comments “ As a team, we are passionate about our craft and have nurtured our cheeses to create the very finest quality and flavour, Jindi Old Telegraph Road Fire Engine Red is a stunning example of our efforts,” he said.
Jindi Old Telegraph Road Fire Engine Red is a washed-rind Cheese, inspired by two famous French-style cheeses, Epoisses and Livarot. But this hybrid is a completely unique cheese, which, while it has already taken on its French equivalents in international competition, has not forgotten its Victorian roots.
“The Old Telegraph Road Fire Engine Red is named in honour of the fire engines driven by the firemen who fought tirelessly to defend the West Gippsland fire in 2009,” said Beaurain.
“The cheese is powerful and at times challenging. As it matures, the beige and white powdery rind becomes more orange so the name is even more fitting.”
Beaurain, together with his team, fine-tune the boutique cheese-making process daily to ensure quality, texture and flavour are maximised and use superior milk sourced locally.
“It is wonderful that the name Jindi is continuing age old traditions with local cheesemakers who are incredibly passionate about the job they do,” said Beaurain. “We look forward to celebrating even further!”
