Around 600 cheeses from Britain and Ireland will be judged at the 29th edition of the prestigious British and Irish Cheese Awards, which takes place at The Bath and West Showground in Shepton Mallet this month.

The British and Irish Cheese Awards is the largest showcase of cheese and will assess entries from the majority of cheesemakers from across each nation on Friday, March 21.

The contest is being hosted for a second year by the Bath and West Food and Drink Festival, which opens to the public on Saturday, March 22 and Sunday, March 23.

Among this year’s entries from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales are 22 brand new cheeses, which have launched since the last edition of the Awards. All cheese entries will be judged in a single day by a 52-strong judging panel, including cheesemakers, cheesemongers, cheese experts, buyers and commentators.

Entries will be judged in individual classes during round one, as the panel decides upon Gold, Silver and Bronze award winners, before all Gold winners are judged again to identify the category winners. Following a final round of judging with the category winners, the 2025 Supreme Champion will be selected and revealed during the British and Irish Cheese Awards Dinner on the evening of Friday, March 21.

Away from the judging area, the festival will also celebrate the South West’s growers, producers and purveyors, featuring demonstrations and presentations on everything from farming to feasting, and everything in between.

Celebrating the finest producers and purveyors in the South West and beyond, the festival will feature a live farmhouse kitchen stage, a farmhouse tavern area showcasing drinks from across the region, and a Little Foodies kids’ zone, as well as hosting the prestigious British & Irish Cheese Awards.

Tickets are available to purchase from bathandwest.com/food-and-drink-festival.