It’s official! The Margaret River Dairy Company now holds the new Guinness World Records title for the Largest cheese tasting event at a single location.The Dairy was overwhelmed with the response it had to a call out for cheese lovers to join in the attempt on Sunday 25 February at their rural dairy in Metricup, in the south west of WA.
Margaret River Dairy Company Head Cheesemaker and Production Manager Thiago Bacellar said it was a huge buzz for him and his team to see so many people tasting three of their most popular cheeses in unison.
“The population of Metricup is around 200 – made up mainly of dairy farms and wineries, so to have 560 people join us yesterday was quite an achievement!
“We do cheese tasting for visitors to the region on a daily basis but to see the quantity we had was incredible. It shows you how many people truly love cheese!
“We had to set up a special area outdoors for the Largest cheese tasting event because we couldn’t fit them all in the tasting room, and then a formal process was required to adhere to the rules set by Guinness World Records.
“We had an official adjudicator and witnesses to ensure the tasting went to plan. I described each of the cheeses to the tasters and they were then invited to eat and rate the cheese, starting with our Farmhouse cheese, followed by Original Cheddar and finally the Original Brie.”
Brian Sobel is one of three GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS adjudicators based in Australia and was onsite to make the official record announcement.
“It was great to be back in WA and the Margaret River region and I love mass participation events,” Brian said.
“The team efforts are great to witness when there’s been a lot of people involved both in the preparation for the event and the attempt itself.
“That’s what Guinness World Records is all about, seeing attempts happen around the world that bring people together on a large scale.
“Congratulations to Thiago and the Margaret River Dairy Company team, and all the cheese tasters for making it happen and being the title holders for this new GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title.”
The official record was measured by the number of people attending a cheese tasting event at a single location and the minimum number to beat was 250 people. It took approximately 20 minutes for the official tasting and another 10 minutes for adjudication.
Margaret River Dairy Company produces a range of award-winning hard and soft cheeses and yoghurts from its dairy and production facility on Bussell Highway in Metricup. Visitors can enjoy free cheese and yoghurt tastings, order coffee, milkshakes, and ice cream, and purchase picnic hampers, gifts and more. Visit www.margaretriverdairy.com.au
