Hawke’s Bay cheesemakers Craggy Range Sheep Dairy and Origin Earth score big wins at national awards

by Jack Riddell, Multimedia Journalist at Hawke's Bay Today | 20 Mar, 2026 03:00pm | Article originally posted on nzherald.co.nz

Two boutique Hawke’s Bay dairy companies might just be among New Zealand’s biggest cheeses.

The nation’s top cheesemaking talent paraded a record-breaking 267 entries of their best coagulated milk products to a panel of expert judges for the 2026 New Zealand Cheese Awards on Thursday in Auckland, with the winners announced that evening.

Taking three top spots was Tukituki Valley’s Craggy Range Sheep Dairy, winning the European-style cheese trophy and the champion boutique cheese category for its pecorino, while its halloumi won the new cheese trophy.

Craggy Range Sheep Dairy co-owner Kate Clairmont said it’s impossible to expect anything in the cheesemaking game, but Thursday night was one for them.

“We go with no expectations and are always grateful to get anything,” she said.

Clairmont called the company’s pecorino its signature cheese, describing it as a traditional Italian style pecorino aged for six months, making it a “beautiful fresh cheese, perfect on a cheese board. We’ve followed the pecorino style for many years to create a very classic sheep cheese,” she said.

Classically a sheep cheese company, Craggy’s halloumi is made with cow’s milk from a farm in Takapau, which is made when the business is not milking sheep.

Clairmont described the halloumi as creamy with a salty kick.

“Perfect to fry up and it’s got a bit of a softness to it as well, so it doesn’t go too hard,” she said. “Our kids love it the most.”

Clairmont said it was the company’s first time entering the awards after building a factory on its Tukituki Valley farm, previously making cheese alongside Hōhepa, which also won one gold, silver and bronze award on the night.

“There’s some beautiful little artisan boutique cheesemakers in the country and to rise to the top of them is really special,” Clairmont said. “Especially now that we’re making all our own, we feel very proud.”