Saval, a washed rind cow’s milk cheese, has been named Best Welsh Cheese at the British & Irish Cheese Awards 2025. Made by Caws Teifi in Ceredigion, Wales, Saval took this coveted prize among hundreds of entries into the 29th edition of these Awards, which were hosted by the Bath & West Food & Drink Festival near Shepton Mallet in Somerset.
Saval is a Caerphilly-based washed rind cheese with a soft and buttery centre, shrouded in a pink and wrinkled rind. This latest achievement marks the 10th time that Caws Teifi has won Best Welsh Cheese at the British & Irish Cheese Awards, having last picked up the trophy in 2022 with Celtic Promise.
Robert Savage, managing director of Caws Teifi, said;
“A huge congratulations to our amazing team! Special recognition to our founders Patrice, Paula and John, our dedicated directors John-James and Robert. The pioneering affineurs Pat and the late James Aldridge, and of course, Tim Mitchell, our head cheesemaker for the past 23 years. I couldn’t be prouder! Thank you to all our customers for your continued support—here’s to more award-winning cheese.”
All special trophy winners were announced during the British & Irish Cheese Awards Dinner on the evening of Friday 21 March, and the Supreme Champion Cup was presented to Burford, a washed rind, Alpine-style cheese from King Stone Dairy in Gloucestershire.
Around the UK, the Best English Cheese trophy went to Clara, an ash-coated goat’s cheese log from Harvey and Brockless, and the Best Scottish Cheese trophy went to Anster, a delicate, pale and crumbly cheese from St Andrews Farmhouse Cheese Company.
Organised by The Royal Bath & West Society, the British & Irish Cheese Awards 2025 assessed nearly 600 entries on Friday 21 March, with the help of 52 judges from across the industry. The expert panel, made up of cheesemakers, cheesemongers, cheese experts, buyers and commentators, judged entries in their individual classes during the morning session, awarding Bronze, Silver and Gold accolades. During the second round, all Gold award winners from each category were judged alongside one another to identify the category winners, before all category winners were judged in the final round to find this year’s Supreme Champion and Reserve Champion.
Hosted by the Bath & West Food & Drink Festival, the British & Irish Cheese Awards judging hall was open to the public over the weekend of 22 to 23 March. Festival visitors were invited to witness the incredible scale of the judging arena, cast their votes in the People’s Choice Award, and even join the festival’s brand new Guided Cheese Tours.
