The British Cheese Awards 2019 take place on Wednesday 29th May at the Royal Bath and West Show, near Shepton Mallet.

For lovers of cheese and fine food it makes for a 'must visit' show.

The awards are not only celebrating their 26th birthday but also a new location. The awards will be held in Exmoor Hall, that is located opposite the Main Ring.

Not only will it host the awards, but it will also have a dedicated area where cheesemakers will be selling their delicious cheeses to cheese enthusiasts.

So from traditional farmhouse Cheddar to more adventurous cheese, such as highly fragrant washed rind cheeses, there will be a great selection of products to buy. The hall will be the ultimate destination for turophiles.

The British Cheese Awards is the pre-eminent cheese event in the UK, as well as a great celebration of British cheese and the industry.

Over 1,000 cheeses are expected to be entered with visitors being able to get a unique opportunity to see all these cheeses in one location.

The British Cheese Awards forms part of the Royal Bath and West Show, that takes place from Wednesday 29th May to Saturday 1st June.

Judging for the British Cheese Awards takes place from 9am on 29th May and members of the public will be able to observe this unique judging process from a dedicated area in the judging room.

Judges will score the cheeses on presentation, texture, aroma, flavour and balance. Dependent on the scores that each cheese receives, gold, silver and bronze medals will be awarded.

Then from mid-afternoon on the same day, once the judging has finished, visitors will be able to have a close-up view of all the cheeses that have been judged.

The cheeses will then remain in place for cheese lovers to view for the rest of the Royal Bath and West Show.

The awards that the cheesemakers will be hoping to win include Supreme Champion, the Reserve Champion, the four Country Awards and the nine Main Category Awards.

This year also sees two new awards for Cheddar cheese, an award for the Best Block Cheddar and another for Best Traditional Cheddar. There will also be 13 Special Awards, including an award for Best Specialist Cheesemaker.

Last year's competition attracted 1,008 entries from 148 cheesemakers that covered the length and breadth of the UK and Ireland.

Cheeses entered came from over 54 counties that covered the length and breadth of the UK and Ireland, showing just how vibrant the British Cheese Industry is today. For 2019, 70 judges will judge 124 classes of cheese in 13 categories.

As well as visiting the British Cheese Awards, visitors will be able to enjoy all the other activities that the Royal Bath & West Show has to offer.

Keep the little ones entertained with hands-on demonstrations including mozzarella making, butter making, milk tasting and apple juice making.

Why not let them make new friends by getting up close with the pigs and sheep or meet everyone's favourite little green tractor, Tractor Ted?

Jumping into the Main Ring with their daredevil stunts is this year's Main Ring attraction, the Extreme Bike Battle. The impressive team will be pushing boundaries twice daily at this year's show.

You can also enjoy the superb sounds of local artists in the Pilton Tent, who this year will be joined by the ultimate Take That tribute band, Rule the World.

Over in the sheep shearing pavilion, legends of the West Country, The Wurzels, will be performing at the show for the first time in eight years.

The 700 plus trade stands offer a shopping experience, while over 125 producers of the finest food and drink in Britain will offer plenty to please your palate.

Sponsors for this year's British Cheese Awards include the following companies: Atlas Packaging, Aubrey Allen, Barber's Farmhouse Cheesemakers, Berkshire Labels, Bord Bia, Coombe Castle International, Delamere Dairy, DuPont Danisco, Fine Food Digest, Harvey & Brockless, Lactalis McLelland, Marks & Spencer, Paxton & Whitfield, Peter Green Chilled, Rowcliffe, Anthony & Son, Somerdale International, Specialist Cheesemakers Association, The British Organic Dairy Company, The Fine Cheese Co. and West Country Farmhouse Cheesemakers.