Discount retailer ALDI has come under fire by some boutique cheese producers for the large number of medals that ALDI was awarded at the recent Sydney Royal Cheese and Dairy Show.Some boutique Australian cheese brands have called for large retailers like ALDI to be judged in a separate category of the awards, claiming that the large suppliers should not be judged on their “processed” cheese.
An ALDI spokesperson told Australian Food News today that ALDI has as much right as any other cheese brand to compete in the show.
“Many of our cheese suppliers run small local operations, while others are somewhat larger with production facilities throughout Australia,” the ALDI spokesperson said.
“The cheeses entered were expertly sourced from a number of regions throughout Australia including Ashgrove in Tasmania, Bega in New South Wales and from Gippsland, Warrnambool and Cobram in Victoria,” the spokesperson added.
The ALDI spokesperson told Australian Food News that it did not apologise for its dairy product success.
ALDI collected 8 gold medals and 41 silver medals at the recent Sydney Royal Cheese and Dairy show in various dairy sections.
The Royal Agricultural Society of NSW has insisted that ALDI is on a “level playing ground” with all other Australian cheese producers and “can win gold too.”
Other Gold Medal winning cheese brands from the Sydney Royal Cheese and Dairy include: Bega Cheese, Lion Dairy and Drinks, Jindi Cheese, Little Greek Cheese, Small Cow Farm, King Island Dairy, Berrys Creek Gourmet Cheese, Bangalow Cheese and La Casa Del Formaggio.
