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 The 2011 ABC Delicious Magazine Produce Awards were judged last summer, & the resulting finalists announced in the June issue of the magazine. We were invited to submit product again, & entered the Ringwould Blanc, having entered the Cendre last year. I am delighted to say that we have made it into the finals again! We are in the Soft Cheese category, Meredith Dairy's Goats' Curd is in the Fresh Cheese and Udder Delights Goats' Curd is in the Artisan category. Unfortunately the Holy Goat's La Luna, which has won repeatedly, is also in the Soft Cheese, so I don't think all three classes can be won by goats' curd. I wasn't sure which category to go in, but perhaps the others were equally unsure. I hope to get the logo to put here soon. The winners will be announced on the 25th July in Sydney, it's a bit far to go.

 The 2011 Dairy Industry Awards were announced on the 2nd April; Ringwould had entered their Goats' Fetta marinated in Grape seed oil, which is becoming very popular with the market customers, but didn't get a mention. Over The Moon won the Marinated Fetta class. We also entered both the cows' and the goats' yoghurt, and both won Silver awards. The cows' yoghurt was placed first in its class, which was rather surprisingly for mixed milk product, and the goats' yoghurt was awarded silver in the Unflavoured Yoghurt class. Caprino won the class for goats' yoghurt. I haven't been given an explanation for the change of classes. There were less Gold awards this year as they raised the required score to 18.5 to match the rest of Australia. 

Ringwould Cendre won a

Melbourne Royal Show Gold 

Medal in class for fresh cheeses,

all milks. Only 3 gold medals in a

class of 21.

Ringwould Cendre, gold,

Diary Industry Association

Western Australia -

 Goat or Sheep Fresh Cheese 2010

Ringwould Goats' Milk, gold,

fresh sheep or goats' milk.

ABC Delicious 2010, Dairy

finalist for WA.

Champion Non-Bovine Dairy

Product at the 2010 WA

Dairy Industry Awards.

 

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 Welcome to Ringwould.

If you click on the picture below, you will go to the YouTube video filmed by WA Tourism for the Gourmet Escape at Margaret River. I' m not sure why it went there, but I'm a novice at this. 

Ringwould is a family business run by the four members of the Saunders family, Jim & Augusta, their son John, & his wife Toni-Louise. John & Toni have two daughters, Maria-Louise (7) & Rosie (2), who are of course also involved in the business. Peter, on the right in this picture, is a pilot based in Canberra.

Jim & Augusta developed a new land farm at Fitzgerald, north-east of Jerramungup, & when they wanted to move closer to town, bought a beautiful, but run-down, farm at Redmond. The family moved from being centrally placed between Jerramungup, Ravensthorpe and Newdegate, to being centrally placed between Albany, Mt Barker and Denmark. They are still off the beaten track, but in a valley with a permanent creek, big trees and higher rainfall.

The farm has been rebuilt using natural fertilizers, minerals and bio-dynamics so that now we can grow healthy pasture and therefore healthy animals. Everything comes from the soil, & it is to our benefit to nurture it. Augusta’s uncle is a pioneer of the organic movement in the UK, so it was only natural that they should want to farm organically. The name Ringwould comes from Augusta’s grandmother’s home in Kent, where the Monins family lived for generations, and was used for the Fitzgerald farm as well, so moved with us as a sign of continuity and stability.

The logo of the old Georgian house  shows the symmetry and balance that can be achieved with team work and the importance of community in our lives.

 

  Two and a half years on, we have adjusted to our roles in the business, but sadly Jim is battling with cancer, so has been unable to take his accustomed place at the Albany markets. This has increased the workload for everyone else, but we hope Jim will recover in the spring and be out & about again.

  Jim unfortunately didn't win the battle with cancer, he passed away on the 28th February 2012, two days after his 77th birthday. He has left a huge hole in our hearts and our business; I thank everyone who has sent sympathy cards, thoughts & prayers, they are very much appreciated, & are a lovely reminder of how much he meant to so many people.

   We are carrying on his legacy, we just have to work harder & hope that Albany people will respond to John at the markets as well as they did to his father.