Young Cheesemonger of the Year finalists revealed

The eight finalists for the Young Cheesemonger of the Year 2019 competition have been announced, with the lineup as follows:

Sam Day – from Farndon Fields Farm Shop, Leicester.
Izaak Edge – from The Cheeseworks, Cheltenham.
Alexandra Griffin – from La Cave a Fromage, Hove.
Alexander Kiely – from The Fine Cheese Company, Bath.
Daniel Ozeri – from Neal’s Yard Dairy, London.
Michael Paradise – from La Fromagerie, London.
Mica-Jade Rowswell – from Macknade Fine Foods, Faversham.
Alan Watson – from Paxton & Whitfield, London.

Part of the British Cheese Awards, the competition will take place on 30th May at the Royal Bath & West Show in Somerset. The eight finalists will take part in four rounds, consisting of a Cheeseboard Proposal and Discussion, Cut & Wrap exercise, an Identification test and a Mastermind-style quiz.

Julius Longman, chairman of the British Cheese Awards, says: “We were really impressed with the quality and also the number of entries that we received this year. It was encouraging to see entries from young cheesemongers throughout the country, giving a positive picture of how this is such a great career for young foodies who love cheese. I’m looking forward to seeing how the eight finalists perform on the day. The nature of the four rounds means that it’s never certain who will win until right up to the end, making it an adrenaline-charged competition to take part in as well as watch.”

Image: Alexandra Griffin