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  1. RAS Uplift
  2. Sydney Royal Competitions
  3. Competitions
  4. Cheese & Dairy Produce
Cheese & Dairy Produce
Cheese & Dairy Produce

Per capita, Australia sits in third place globally when it comes to milk consumption, with our cheese and dairy produce industries incorporating milk, butter, cheeses including cheddar, labneh and haloumi, gelato, yoghurt, buttermilk, custard, and other milk products from cow, sheep, goat, buffalo, and camel.

With a tradition of Cheese & Dairy Produce competitions hosted by the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW dating back to the 1870s, the Sydney Royal Cheese & Dairy Produce Show is now one of the most prestigious competitions in the industry, and our judges are in the best position to declare that Australia sits in first place when it comes to flavour, aroma, texture, and body.

Exhibitor information

Exhibitor information

The Specialty Foods Competition within the 2023 Sydney Royal Fine Food Show encompasses all plant-based products including sorbets, coconut cream frozen desserts and yoghurts, oat milk, and other predominantly whole, minimally processed plant foods. The 'Other Dairy Products' Class accepts entries from those producing dairy products that do not fit within traditional Sydney Royal Cheese & Dairy Produce Show classes. These products must have a minimum of 50% total Australian dairy content and an overall makeup of 85% Australian product. The introduction of the Other Dairy Class enables the RAS to continue to play a strong role in supporting the development of new products in the Australian dairy produce industry.   Exhibitor Confirmation Pack Exhibitors will be sent an Exhibitor Confirmation Pack, which contains product labels, courier and postal labels, maps and delivery instructions once entries are closed. Once you have received this pack, label your products and send them to the RAS within the delivery date period as outlined in the information provided.   Maps and Delivery Instructions A map showing where exhibits are to be delivered will be posted out to all Exhibitors in their Confirmation Packs.

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Developing a new product?

Developing a new product?

Amongst a range of competition classes in the Sydney Royal Cheese & Dairy Produce Show is the Research and Development Class. In this non-medal category our esteemed industry judges provide confidential feedback to exhibitors on the quality of their product, serving as the first stage of development of a new product with a professional and cost-efficient approach. Tiffany Beer, Chair of Judges - Cheese & Dairy Produce answers some questions about this class below. How does the judging process for exhibits in the Research & Development Class differ from those in other Classes? This class is judged using the same criteria as other classes, however, where appropriate we do use a larger number of judges to examine the product and provide expert comments back to the exhibitor. Those criteria are Flavour, Body and Texture, and Appearance. Should the manufacturer ask us to look at any additional aspects of the product we can do that, as we have a large pool of expert judges with varied backgrounds and products knowledge. What information will the exhibitor receive if they enter? All exhibitors to the Sydney Royal Cheese and Dairy Produce Show receive feedback on their products and they may contact the Chair of Judges to discuss their exhibit. What criteria will the exhibit be judged on? The criteria covers all aspects of the product from the packaging and product presentation right through to its consumption. For products that require further preparation before consumption, eg. cooking, we do conduct that step so that the product is judged as it would be by the end consumer. What other benefits are there of entering? The product will be assessed in one sitting by a range of highly qualified and experienced people from across Australia.

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Supporting the Dairy Industry

Supporting the Dairy Industry

Supporting the Australian dairy produce industry The Royal Agricultural Society of NSW is a not-for-profit organisation that has been an influential force in the direction and development of Australian agriculture through competitions, education and events since its foundation in 1822. Today, through the Sydney Royal Cheese & Dairy Produce Show, we are promoting and rewarding excellence in the Australian dairy produce industry. The Sydney Royal Cheese & Dairy Produce Show is committed to attracting the very best professionals as Judges and Stewards, providing an excellent environment for networking and professional development to all participants, resulting in benefits for the industry at large. Development of Judges Our Chair of Judges, Tiffany Beer and the RAS of NSW Dairy Produce Committee select the judging panel for the Sydney Royal Cheese & Dairy Produce Show aiming to include a combination of cheese & dairy producers, industry educators, communicators and retailers.

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Judging

Judging

The Judging Panel The Sydney Royal Cheese & Dairy Show engages respected industry professionals and judges and firmly endorses the development of future judges with a strong succession plan through Associate Judges. All Judges involved in the Show have completed an accredited sensory training course. Judging panels of three to five Judges are constituted from a combination of the following: Manufacturers and technologists from industry Product users Product retailers Other specialist and industry judges Tiffany Beer is the Show's Chair of Judges. Tiffany has over thirty-five years’ involvement in the Australian food industry, along with experience judging at Sydney Royal and other food and wine shows. Chair of Judges - Tiffany Beer Tiffany Beer is a food technologist with a background in food quality and safety, as well as product development and labelling. Her food expertise includes working with dairy products, ready-to-eat meals, baked goods, confectionery, frozen products and honey. Tiffany works alongside small and medium sized food businesses, ensuring compliance with regulatory and customer requirements. The Judging Process Conducted by the Sydney Royal Cheese & Dairy Produce Show judging panel, medals are determined by Judges using the following point scale: Gold medal for outstanding Exhibits gaining 18pts and over; Silver medal for excellent Exhibits gaining 17pts but fewer than 17.9pts; Bronze medal for quality Exhibits gaining 16pts but fewer than 16.9pts. Associate Judging The Committee has embarked on a path of growing the pool of Judges available and have adopted a rotation policy to refresh the judging panels and give them a different dynamic and capture potential new judges coming through the industry and therefore endorses the development of future judges by offering Associate Judging positions. Stewarding Stewards play a valuable part in the judging of each competition and ensure the day runs smoothly through the coordination and preparation of exhibits for Judges. Stewarding is a fantastic way of leaning more about the industry, competitions and the judging process, with opportunities to develop into Associate Judge and Judge roles in the future.

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Benefits of a Sydney Royal win

Benefits of a Sydney Royal win

The Sydney Royal Cheese & Dairy Produce Show will be held at Sydney Showground between 6-9 February 2023. Amongst a range of classes we welcome and encourage producers to enter the Research and Development Class. This is a non- medal category in which industry expert Judges provide confidential feedback to Exhibitors on the quality of their products and constitutes the first stage of development of a potential new product. The benefits of entering the Sydney Royal Cheese & Dairy Produce Show include: Rigorous score-based evaluation, allowing you to compare your product against industry benchmarks. Individual confidential feedback given on every exhibit, provided by experienced Judges. Opportunity to win a prestigious Sydney Royal medal, demonstrating that your product has achieved a high level of  quality and positive recognition from industry peers. Exhibitors of the top Exhibits may be invited to participate in the President’s Medal Competition. Since 2006, the President’s Medal has recognised excellence in Australian food and drink production with only the best of the best nominated to compete. Opportunity to be selected to showcase and sample your medal-winning produce at the Sydney Royal Taste of Excellence business to business industry event. Opportunity to be selected to showcase and sample your medal-winning produce at the Sydney Royal Easter Show – Talk & Taste. A public facing activation where you can promote your business through 30 minute interactive tasting sessions to the general public in the Woolworths Fresh Food Dome. 

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Food Authority Dairy Australia

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