Two stars at Great Taste 2026 for St Tola Beag and the Ash Log

The Great Taste Awards, run by the Guild of Fine Food, are the world's largest blind-tasted food awards. In August 2026 two St Tola cheeses came away with two stars each, which puts them in the top 10% of everything entered.

Every cheese is tasted blind by several panels of judges, who write up what they find. Here is what they said about ours.

St Tola Beag

“An impressive looking off white log. The paste is creamy and crumbly. The flavour is distinctly of goat, it is balanced and rounded with lactic dairy notes. A well made cheese.”

“The rind is an outstanding example of a Geotrichum. The inside is a lovely, white, slightly moussey paste. It has a classic goat aroma but, being quite a young cheese, this is not overpowering so there's also a lactic sweetness. In the mouth, it starts really creamy and rich but then comes sufficient lactic acidity to refresh the palate for the next mouthful. We do not see how a young cheese could have any more depth of flavour whilst still being mild.”

“A stunning looking log with a long flavour journey that speaks volumes of its terroir. Strong sweet and floral notes pair beautifully with the richness of the goats' milk.”

St Tola Ash Log

“An attractive looking ash log with a pleasant goaty, lactic aroma. The flavour is pronounced, tangy, creamy with dairy notes. A really well rounded cheese and a perfect complement to a cheese board.”

“A showstopper that promises creaminess and delivers with confidence. A cheese of two halves: the ash coating providing earthiness and bitter balance, the interior rich and creamy with a sharp floral brightness reminiscent of elderflower and elderberry. The palate is left in serene freshness for a long, clean finish.”

“We loved the appearance with its rather fashionable shade of grey! There is a classic, clean, lactic goat aroma. The cheese cuts very smoothly. In the mouth, it's rich and smooth with great cheesy depth, loads of moisture especially at the end of the mouthful, and those promised citrus notes. There's a clean, lactic finish.”

Both cheeses also carry two stars from Great Taste 2025. You can find the Ash Log on our cheeses pages, and both are in the online shop.