Minister for Rural Affairs, Elin Jones, visited Caws Teifi Cheese last week to congratulate the proprietors and staff on their success in winning the James Aldridge memorial trophy for Best British raw milk cheese.

Caws Teifi Cheese is one of Wales’ best known cheesemakers, internationally renowned for producing a wide range of quality cheeses. The company won its latest award for Saval cheese, which was honoured by the Specialist Cheesemakers Association (SCA) at its meeting on the Isle of Arran.

The highest award in British artisan cheesemaking, it was founded in 2002 by the SCA’s patron HRH The Prince of Wales, in honour of the late raw milk cheese pioneer James Aldridge.

Mrs Jones, said: “I am delighted that Caws Teifi Cheese has won this prestigious award. It is a tremendous achievement which once again reflects Wales’ international reputation for producing world-class cheeses.

John Savage-Onstwedder moved from his native Netherlands to Wales to make cheese almost 30 years ago.

The James Aldridge memorial trophy is the latest in a long line of awards Caws Teifi Cheese has received, including the Supreme Championship at the British Cheese Awards on two occasions, in 1998 and 2005. The awards take place during The Great British Cheese Festival, which returns to Cardiff in September 2009, after the great success of the 2008 festival, and boasts the largest selection of British cheeses under one roof.

Caws Teifi Cheese previously received a processing and marketing grant of £29,237 from the Welsh Assembly towards a new cheese making dairy.