Four major Irish retailers scooped honours last week at the 2026 Irish Cheese Awards during a prestigious ceremony hosted by CÁIS, the Association of Irish Farmhouse Cheesemakers, at Cloughjordan House in Co. Tipperary on Wednesday September 23rd.
The biennial celebration of Ireland’s farmhouse cheesemakers, now in its eleventh year, named winners across fourteen distinct categories with awards also presented to the ‘Best New Cheese’ and ‘Best Raw Milk Cheese’, culminating in naming one winner as this year’s ‘Supreme Champion’. This followed a rigorous judging process that was undertaken by a high calibre panel of Irish and international cheese experts at La Rousse Foods in Dublin earlier this month.
Together, the fifteen judges tasted 150 different cheeses produced by thirty cheesemakers located across the island of Ireland; from the Aran Islands and Aillwee Cave to Dingle and Donegal. Each cheese was individually scored on aroma, flavour, body, texture, and overall appearance in order to select this year’s worthy winners.
Retailer Awards
Dunnes Stores Simply Better were the big winners on the day, taking home an impressive nine awards - three Best In Class, a Gold, two Silvers, and three Bronzes.
The retailer dominated the ‘Creamery Cheddar' category, winning a total of four awards including Best In Class for its ‘West Cork Co-op Smoked Drinagh Cheddar 200g’, with its ‘West Cork Co-op Extra Mature Drinagh Cheddar 200g’ also scooping a Gold award. In the same category, its ‘Batch Selection Grader's Choice Cheddar 200g’ and ‘West Cork Co-op Vintage Drinagh Cheddar 200g’ cheeses both took home Silver awards.
Dunnes Stores Simply Better picked up another four awards in the ‘Semi Hard / Hard’ cheese category. Its ‘Irish Farmhouse Smoked Gubbeen Extra Mature 160g’ cheese won Best In Class and the retailer’s ‘Irish Farmhouse Killeen Goat's Cheese Specially Matured 150g’, ‘Irish Farmhouse Killeen Goat's Cheese with Fenugreek 150g’ and ‘Irish Farmhouse Coolea Mature 160g’ cheeses all scooped Bronze awards.
Dunnes Stores Simply Better's other award win came in the ‘Soft / Semi Soft’ cheese category with its ‘Irish Original Cream Cheese 180g’ named Best In Class.
SuperValu Signature Tastes landed a total of five awards - all Bronzes. Its ‘24 Month Matured Vintage White Cheddar’, ‘Allenwood Smoked Cheddar’ and ‘Vintage Red Cheddar’ cheeses all claimed Bronze awards in the ‘Creamery Cheddar’ cheese category.
The retailer’s ‘Cashel Blue Cheese’ scooped a Bronze in the ‘Soft / Semi Soft’ cheese category, with its ‘Gubbeen’ cheese picking up another Bronze award in the ‘Semi Hard / Hard’ cheese category.
Aldi Specially Selected took home a Silver award in the ‘Creamery Cheddar' cheese category with its ‘Irish Vintage White Cheddar Block 250g’ cheese and it scooped Bronze awards in the ‘Soft / Semi Soft’ category for its ‘Cashel Blue 150g’ cheese and the ‘Semi Hard / Hard’ category with its ‘Irish Flavoured Cracked Black Pepper Cheddar’ cheese.
Sheridans Cheesemongers was also successful, scooping a total of five awards. It picked up a Bronze in the ‘Soft / Semi Soft’ cheese category for its cheese, ‘Drunken Saint’, along with Silver awards in the ‘Semi Hard / Hard’ cheese category for its ‘Booker’s Vintage’ and ‘Fifteen Fields’ cheeses. The retailer’s other award wins came in the ‘Exclusive Cheese’ category with its ‘Whiskey Milleens’ and ‘Booker’s Vintage’ cheeses both scooping Bronze awards.
Category Winners:
‘Retailer Class, Creamery Cheddar’ Cheese (Gold award): Dunnes Stores Simply Better - ‘Simply Better West Cork Co-op Smoked Drinagh Cheddar 200g', made by Bandon Vale Farmhouse Cheese Company
‘Retailer Class, Soft / Semi Soft’ Cheese (Gold award): Dunnes Stores Simply Better - ‘Simply Better Irish Original Cream Cheese 180g’, made by Killowen Farm
‘Retailer class, Semi Hard / Hard’ Cheese (Gold award): Dunnes Stores Simply Better - ‘Irish Farmhouse Smoked Gubbeen Extra Mature 160g’, made by Gubbeen Farmhouse Cheese
‘Retailer Class, Exclusive Cheese’ (Bronze Award): Sheridans Cheesemongers - ‘Whiskey Milleens’, made by Milleens Cheese
Gold Awards
‘Retailer Class, Creamery Cheddar’: Dunnes Stores Simply Better - ‘West Cork Co-op Extra Mature Drinagh Cheddar 200g’, made by Bandon Vale Farmhouse Cheese Company
Silver Awards
‘Retailer Class, Creamery Cheddar’: Dunnes Stores Simply Better - ‘Batch Selection Grader's Choice Cheddar 200g’, made by Bandon Vale Farmhouse Cheese Company
‘Retailer Class, Creamery Cheddar’: Aldi Specially Selected - ‘Irish Vintage White Cheddar Block 250g’, made by Carbery Foods
‘Retailer Class, Creamery Cheddar’: Dunnes Stores Simply Better - ‘West Cork Co-op Vintage Drinagh Cheddar 200g’, made by Bandon Vale Farmhouse Cheese Company
‘Retailer Class, Semi Hard / Hard’: Sheridans Cheesemongers - ‘Booker's Vintage’, made by Carbery Foods
‘Retailer Class, Semi Hard / Hard’: Sheridans Cheesemongers - ‘Fifteen Fields’, made by Knockanore Farmhouse Cheese
Bronze Awards
‘Retailer Class, Creamery Cheddar’: SuperValu Signature Tastes - ‘24 Month Matured Vintage White Cheddar’, made by Bandon Vale Farmhouse Cheese Company
‘Retailer Class, Creamery Cheddar’: SuperValu Signature Tastes - ‘Allenwood Smoked Cheddar’, made by Knockanore Farmhouse Cheese
‘Retailer Class, Creamery Cheddar’: SuperValu Signature Tastes - ‘Vintage Red Cheddar’, made by Bandon Vale Farmhouse Cheese Company
‘Retailer Class, Soft / Semi Soft’ Cheese: Aldi - ‘Cashel Blue 150g’, made by Cashel Farmhouse Cheesemakers
‘Retailer Class, Soft / Semi Soft’ Cheese: Sheridans Cheesemongers - 'Drunken Saint’, made by Wicklow Farmhouse Cheesemakers
‘Retailer Class, Soft / Semi Soft’ Cheese: SuperValu Signature Tastes - ‘Cashel Blue Cheese’, made by Cashel Blue Cheesemakers
‘Retailer Class, Semi Hard / Hard’ Cheese: SuperValu Signature Tastes - ‘Gubbeen’ Cheese, made by Gubbeen Farmhouse Cheese
‘Retailer Class, Semi Hard / Hard’ Cheese: Dunnes Stores Simply Better - ‘Irish Farmhouse Killeen Goat's Cheese Specially Matured 150g’, made by Killeen Farmhouse Cheese
‘Retailer Class, Semi Hard / Hard’ Cheese: Dunnes Stores Simply Better - ‘Irish Farmhouse Killeen Goat's Cheese with Fenugreek 150g’, made by Killeen Farmhouse Cheese
‘Retailer Class, Semi Hard / Hard’ Cheese: Dunnes Stores Simply Better - ‘Irish Farmhouse Coolea Mature 160g’, made by Coolea Farmhouse Cheese
‘Retailer Class, Semi Hard / Hard’ Cheese: Aldi Specially Selected - ‘Irish Flavoured Cracked Black Pepper Cheddar’, made by Carbery Foods
‘Retailer Class, Exclusive Cheese’: Sheridans Cheesemongers - ‘Booker's Vintage’, made by Carbery Foods
Speaking about how the Irish Cheese Awards positively affect the long-term future and success of Irish Farmhouse Cheesemaking, and the impact it has on individual artisan producers, Chair of CÁIS, Dan Hegarty (of Hegarty’s Cheese), said: “The biannual Irish Cheese Awards is a very important event in the diary of Irish Farmhouse Cheesemakers due to the calibre of judges involved which has a significant impact on individual Irish artisan cheese producers. This in turn has a very positive effect on the long-term future, viability, and success of the Irish Farmhouse Cheese Industry, which continues to thrive over the 40 plus years of CÁIS's existence."
The CÁIS 2026 Irish Cheese Awards were proudly Sponsored by Sysco, Bord Bia, Traditional Cheese Co, and Horgan’s Delicatessen Supplies, and supported by Sheridans Cheesemongers, La Rousse Foods, Artisan Cheese Awards, Irish Cheese Direct and Irish Raw Milk Cheese Presidium.
Clodagh O'Sullivan, Category Manager, Dairy, PB & Organic at Sysco Ireland, said:"Sysco Ireland is proud to support the Irish Cheese Awards and celebrate the exceptional quality, innovation and craftsmanship that make Irish cheese so special. The awards are a fantastic opportunity to recognise the people, families and businesses behind the country’s thriving cheese sector and the passion and skill that goes into every product.
“At Sysco, we work closely with many of Ireland’s cheesemakers, helping to bring their products to chefs and customers across the foodservice industry. We are delighted to support CÁIS in celebrating the diversity and quality of Irish cheese, and congratulate all of this year’s entrants, finalists and winners on their achievements.”
Clodagh O'Sullivan, Category Manager, Dairy, PB & Organic at Sysco Ireland, said:"Sysco Ireland is proud to support the Irish Cheese Awards and celebrate the exceptional quality, innovation and craftsmanship that make Irish cheese so special. The awards are a fantastic opportunity to recognise the people, families and businesses behind the country’s thriving cheese sector and the passion and skill that goes into every product.
“At Sysco, we work closely with many of Ireland’s cheesemakers, helping to bring their products to chefs and customers across the foodservice industry. We are delighted to support CÁIS in celebrating the diversity and quality of Irish cheese, and congratulate all of this year’s entrants, finalists and winners on their achievements.”
The full list of this year’s winners covering all Gold, Silver, and Bronze Awards is available to view online via the CÁIS website, www.irishcheese.ie.
