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.