^{Kris Lloyd's Flower Power buffalo cheese achieved first place in its class in a global cheese competition. Photo: supplied}

Judged in the US state of Wisconsin last week, five Kris Lloyd cheeses won recognition, with the Flower Power cheese taking out first place in its class, the Monet cheese achieving third, and the artisan Buffalo Curd fourth.

Lloyd explains the recognition goes “far beyond a trophy and a medal”, saying events such as the world championship “significantly contribute to the international recognition” of the brand.

“They cement our position on the world stage, and strengthen our existing export trade opportunities,” Lloyd said.

“We’re really keen on growing our export market, so something like this is just really invaluable.”

Over 3000 cheeses from more than 400 manufacturers across 25 countries were entered into the global competition, hosted by the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA).

WCMA contest director Kirsten Strohmenger said “in the US and around the world, the contest’s gold medal seal on the labels of award-winning products drives consumer purchases and boosts sales”.

Lloyd says that being a “New World cheese maker” made every award and recognition all the more special.

“We haven’t got generation after generation of cheese-makers here. We’re competing against generations of knowledge, and to be able to score five gongs in a really competitive field is really, really pleasing.”

Based in the Adelaide Hills, Kris Lloyd’s brands Kris Lloyd Artisan and Woodside Cheese were both recognised at the awards.

A South Australia Food and Wine Ambassador, Lloyd said being able to produce the globally-recognised cheese in South Australia was very important to her.

“We’ve got this incredible biosecurity that gives us the opportunity to start with a really good product, so our milk is of the finest quality, world class,” Lloyd said.

“No different to winemakers, you can’t make good cheese without a particularly high-quality milk, so we’re really perfectly positioned to be able to punch above our weight right from the beginning here in South Australia.”

The winning Flower Power is a buffalo milk cheese embedded with marigolds, cornflowers, native thyme and other seasonal flowers.

“I like all my cheeses to have a bit of an Australian touch… it’s a complicated cheese I guess in many respects, but it’s just lovely,” Lloyd said.

Lloyd said the recognition was a “testament to the Australian cheese industry”.

Words: Isabella Kelly