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The British & Irish Cheese Awards<\/a> has received a record breaking number of Irish entries into this year\u2019s competition, with 48 Irish cheeses set to be judged in a field of over 600 entries. Highlighting a growing renaissance for Irish cheese in the UK, this significant landmark comes a decade after the Brexit referendum, which led to many Irish cheeses disappearing from British cheese counters.<\/p>\n
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As a central focus of the British & Irish Cheese Awards\u2019 30th\u00a0anniversary celebrations, taking place as part of the Bath & West Food & Drink Festival<\/a> on Friday 20 March, organisers, The Royal Bath & West Society<\/a>, have worked alongside C\u00c1IS – The Association of Irish Farmhouse Cheesemakers<\/a>, Bord Bia<\/a> \u2013 The Irish Food Board, and the Specialist Cheesemakers Association in the UK, to improve logistics around entry consolidation and transport.<\/p>\n
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As part of a wider drive to establish more reliable trade routes for Irish cheese, the initiative aims to reintroduce a plethora of Irish cheeses back into British retailers, while also working to reconnect two cheese cultures with shared traditions and history. Obstacles to free trade following Brexit, including increased bureaucracy and heightened biosecurity rules, led to a gradual distancing between the cheesemaking communities of Britain and Ireland, but with trade networks finally improving and ties gradually being re-established, this year\u2019s Awards will provide a major showcase for Irish cheese in the UK.<\/p>\n
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Tim Rowcliffe, vice-chairman of the British & Irish Cheese Awards and ambassador to Ireland for the Specialist Cheesemakers Association, commented: \u201cIt\u2019s shocking to think that a decade has passed since Irish cheese began losing its presence in the UK, but I\u2019m really excited by the progress we\u2019ve made in putting this right. It\u2019s been a huge team effort to overcome the complex bureaucratic hurdles and rekindle our once strong ties with Irish cheese – I thank our partners at Bord Bia, C\u00c1IS, the SCA and the British & Irish Cheese Awards for their ongoing commitment to the cause. The number of Irish entries into this year\u2019s competition are not only a reflection of our progress, but also the renewed confidence and enthusiasm for the project among Irish cheesemakers.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Estelle Alley, UK Market Specialist at Bord Bia, added: \u201cAs Ireland\u2019s farmhouse cheese category continues to go from strength to strength and UK trade interest rises year after year, Bord Bia plays a central role in fostering long-term partnerships by connecting British buyers with the latest innovations and distinctive flavours from Ireland\u2019s dynamic community of farmhouse cheesemakers.\u201d<\/p>\n
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