An Ayrshire Mozzarella, made especially for Woolworths by RFG Group, was crowned the Dairy Product of the Year at the prestigious South African Dairy Awards on Thursday 25 March 2023 at Eensgezind outside Durbanville. This year’s event marked a remarkable milestone, celebrating the 190th edition of the SA Dairy Championships, the biggest and oldest dairy competition in Africa.
The winning Woolworth 600 g Ayrshire Mozzarella was one of 929 dairy products from 71 producers that competed for the attention of a team of 80 judges. From the high number of entries, 106 products were named SA Champions, standing out as winners in each championships class. This year, a total of 23 products were honoured with the Qualité mark of excellence (see the full list of crème de la crème below).
“For a product to be chosen as Product of the Year in a competition of this nature is the dream of every dairy producer,” says dairy expert and chief judge Alan Fourie. “The 600 g Woolworths Ayrshire Mozzarella is an exceptional pizza mozzarella and worthy of this accolade. It is a firm and smooth cheese with a slightly creamy appearance that grates well and melts perfectly. Its creamy, soft, and caramelised flavour is out of the books.”
Robert Sudell, Operations Manager of RFG Foods, says their team is delighted to be recognised for their signature line. “Mozzarella has been the core foundation of RFG Foods for over 25 years,” says Sudell. “Our small, artisanal cheese team, under the guidance of cheesemaker Kerwick Boonzaaier, are true experts. They use a very manual process, cutting cheese by hand, supported by Italian ingredients and equipment, to create mozzarella that is on par with the best in the world.”
“We are proud of our collaboration with Woolworths, a business that values quality as much as we do. RFG Foods would like to congratulate Agri-Expo on the 190th SA Dairy Championships and their continued support of innovation and excellence in the industry.”
190 YEARS: A LEGACY OF EXCELLENCE
The dairy industry has been an important pillar of Agri-Expo since its inception in 1831 as the Cape of Good Hope Agricultural Society, according to Breyton Milford, General Manager of Agri-Expo. “We are fortunate to have been the host of the SA Dairy Championships since 1834,” says Milford. “However, it is important to acknowledge the effective collaboration within the dairy industry in South Africa. We appreciate the input and guidance from industry leaders to maintain a high standard and continuously adapt to the needs of the industry,” says Milford.
2023 QUALITÉ AWARD WINNERS:
FAIR CAPE DAIRIES (5)
The Menu Vanilla Flavoured Custard
The Menu Chocolate Mousse
Woolworths Low Fat Yoghurt with Salted Caramel & Chocolate coated Honeycomb
Vital Medium Fat Strawberry Yoghurt
Royale Full Cream Yoghurt with Peaches & Cream Flavoured
LACTALIS SOUTH AFRICA (4)
Melrose Glass Jar Spread Cheddar Flavour
Woolworths Mature Cheddar 20 months
Woolworths Mature Gouda 10 months (Black)
Président Gouda Mature 6 months
DE PEKELAAR (3)
Boerenkaas Matured Gouda
Boerenkaas Mature Extra Hard
Boerenkaas Semi Hard Black Pepper
POLAR ICE CREAM COMPANY (2)
Polar Signature Ice Cream Salted Caramel – Caramel Ice Cream
Polar Dairy Ice Cream – Blueberry Cheesecake Buttermilk Frozen Yoghurt
BABYLONSTOREN
Halloumi Skewer
COOKHOUSE CREAMERY
Pizza Mozzarella
DAIRY CORPORATION
Royale Full Cream Yoghurt – Mixed Fruit and Custard
FAIRFIELD DAIRY
First Choice Full Cream Peach Yoghurt
FAIRVIEW CHEESE COMPANY
Woolworths Blue Pearl
KLEIN RIVER CHEESE
Danbo
MEZE FOODS
Braailoumi Cajun
RFG FOODS
Woolworths Ayrshire Mozzarella 600g
UNDERBERG DAIRY
Pizza Mozzarella
For more information, visit www.cheesesa.co.za or e-mail dairy@agriexpo.co.za
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