Hawke’s Bay cheesemakers Craggy Range Sheep Dairy and Origin Earth score big wins at national awards

Craggy Range Sheep Dairy owners James and Kate Clairmont, at left and right, with their awards at the 2026 New Zealand Cheese Awards.

Two boutique Hawke’s Bay dairy companies might just be among New Zealand’s biggest cheeses.

The nation’s top cheesemaking talent paraded a record-breaking 267 entries of their best coagulated milk products to a panel of expert judges for the 2026 New Zealand Cheese Awards on Thursday in Auckland, with the winners announced that evening.

Taking three top spots was Tukituki Valley’s Craggy Range Sheep Dairy, winning the European-style cheese trophy and the champion boutique cheese category for its pecorino, while its halloumi won the new cheese trophy.

Origin Earth owners Bruce and Kathy Wattie, inset, and their factory on Te Mata Rd. Composite image.

Havelock North’s Origin Earth took home the Greek or Danish-style cheese, the fresh flavoured added cheese and the best-in-class sheep milk cheese trophies all for its feta sheep and smoked feta sheep cheese.

Craggy Range Sheep Dairy co-owner Kate Clairmont said it’s impossible to expect anything in the cheesemaking game, but Thursday night was one for them.

“We go with no expectations and are always grateful to get anything,” she said.

Clairmont called the company’s pecorino its signature cheese, describing it as a traditional Italian style pecorino aged for six months, making it a “beautiful fresh cheese, perfect on a cheese board”.

“We’ve followed the pecorino style for many years to create a very classic sheep cheese,” she said.

Classically a sheep cheese company, Craggy’s halloumi is made with cow’s milk from a farm in Takapau, which is made when the business is not milking sheep.

Clairmont described the halloumi as creamy with a salty kick.

“Perfect to fry up and it’s got a bit of a softness to it as well, so it doesn’t go too hard,” she said.

“Our kids love it the most.”

Clairmont said it was the company’s first time entering the awards after building a factory on its Tukituki Valley farm, previously making cheese alongside Hōhepa, which also won one gold, silver and bronze award on the night.

“There’s some beautiful little artisan boutique cheesemakers in the country and to rise to the top of them is really special,” Clairmont said.

“Especially now that we’re making all our own, we feel very proud.”

Origin Earth co-owner Bruce Wattie said the three awards were a fantastic endorsement of its feta, but he was too busy working to make it to the award ceremony.

He puts the feta’s success down to the basics.

“All good cheese starts with good milk,” he said.

“We get our sheep milk from the Central North Island and we think it’s particularly good quality.”

Wattie heaped praise on the business’ founders Joanie and Richard Williams as well as company cheese maker Rowena Sinclair.

“For us having just taken over the business middle of last year, it’s very encouraging and hopefully recognition of the good product that we make,” he said.

Jack Riddell is a multimedia journalist with Hawke’s Bay Today and has worked in radio and media in the UK, Germany, and New Zealand.