As ever, CHEDDAR had the biggest stand at the show. And also as expected, innovation was nowhere to be seen in its range, with nothing more than the usual selection of mild, medium and strong cheddars to keep the casual cheese eater satisfied over the next 12 months. But you all keep buying it, so they must be doing something right!!! LOL!!!The smaller EDAM stand was disappointing. The prettier cheese was once again overshadowed by its blander competitors, despite offering a clearly more vibrant and strong flavour favoured by professional fromagiers.
The contentious issue of SPREADABLE CHEESE was put to bed once and for all, with the soft cheeses showing a 60 percent rise in exhibitor numbers this year, perfectly mirroring the rising popularity of convenience cheeses with the general public.
Maverick independent cheesiers DAIRYLEA broke with convention and opted for a square stand for the first time, but the core "kids cheese" angle remained sadly their main focus.
Relative newcomer LAUGHING COW had a good show, despite the sad death of the real cow brought in to promote the product -- it was crushed during a crowd stampede when free samples were issued.
WENSLEYDALE continued to defy critics who said it doesn't exist and was only made up for a TV programme, by actually being shown.
It was another good year for GORGONZOLA.
But bad news for fans of BRIE -- increasing food hygeine standards have lead to only a weaker, stripped down version of this cheese being allowed to go on sale within the EC.
As ever, the hottest gossip circulating about the showfloor was which biscuit would be served at the massive Cheddar party later that night... it was Jacobs! Well done to all of those who entered our competition -- your cheeseboards are on their way. *Note: Please don't confuse us with the European Computer Trade Show that took place at Excel on the same weekend.
