Irish co-ops scooped no fewer than 11 awards at this year's Global Cheese Awards - one of the world's largest and longest-running cheese and dairy competitions.

The awards, organised by the Frome and District Agricultural Society, have been held annually for more than 160 years.

The prestigious event attracts entries from leading cheese producers and retailers from across the world.

This year saw thousands of entries, with the winners announced during a recent public show day in Frome, Somerset which was attended by more than 20,000 visitors.

Cheese

Ornua member co-ops received 11 awards, including 4 gold, 4 silver and 3 bronze medals across a range of categories including reduced fat cheese, low fat cheese, aged cheddar and regato.

In addition to these allocades, the group also took home the title of Best Reduced Fat Cheese.

The award-winning cheeses were made by Ornua's member co-operatives Carbery Group, Tirlán and Dairygold and hand-selected by Ornua's team of grading experts.

Shane Henry, managing director Ornua Dairy Ingredients, said the awards help showcase the quality that makes Irish cheese world-class.

"The Global Cheese Awards are one of dairy's largest and most prestigious events, and winning 11 awards is a tremendous testament to the passion and skill of Ornua's member co-operative cheesemakers and our team of highly experienced graders.

"These accolades also reflect the strong collaboration between Ornua and our member co-operatives, and our shared commitment to delivering world-class quality for customers and consumers around the world.

"Congratulations to our colleagues across the Ornua Ireland and UK teams whose hard work and craftsmanship have been recognised through these accolades," he said.