Camel milk products win a trifecta at the Sydney Royal Cheese and Dairy Show

The Champions of the 2024 Sydney Royal Cheese and Dairy Show have been announced with Queensland’s Summer Land Camels taking home gold for the Camel Milk, silver for the Camel Milk Persian Feta and bronze for Camel Milk Powder. This sweep takes the tally for the camel dairy based in the Scenic Rim to an incredible 85 since 2018.

According to Tiffany Beer, the Chair of Judges, the quality of entries this year was outstanding, reflecting the excellence of raw materials and the technical prowess of the Australian dairy industry. “I was very impressed with the turnout of entries this year, and the level of quality presented across all classes was really high. It’s a reflection of the technical production skills and constant development, resulting in the consistent quality our local producers are striving for,” Beer said.

Paul Martin, founder and director of Summer Land Camels, was ecstatic to be in the leaders circle for the seventh year running. “This is the United Nations Year of Camelids so we feel incredibly honoured to highlight the exceptional attributes of Camel Dairy,” he said.

The camel dairy has been developing new products with an emphasis on preserving the health benefits of the camel milk as a nutritional dairy alternative. It is also suitable for people with dairy sensitivities and lactose issues.

“Although camel milk is notoriously difficult to make into cheese, our team has been able to create a nationally award-winning Persian feta as well as fromage blanc, haloumi and even cheddar. The unique structure of the milk, with the small fat and protein molecules, makes cheeses with a delicate, smooth and creamy mouthfeel and the taste is second to none,” Martin said.

Camel milk is in high demand but there are challenges in transporting and storing the fresh milk. To make the milk available, the company has also developed a freeze-dried camel milk powder.

Image caption: Shelby Ackerman and Paul Martin.