A Northland cheesemaker has won a major international award for his smelly camembert.
Zev Kaka-Holtz works for Whangarei artisan company Grinning Gecko.
“I’m just a humble cheesemaker," he says.
”It’s always hard to blow your own trumpet I feel, probably the hardest thing to do is accepting praise.”
His title of aspiring cheesemaker was trumped by a bronze in the novice category at the International Cheese and Dairy awards in Nantwich, Britain.
He loves showing his kids that a ‘bit of hard mahi will get you far.’
"I just wanted a job, that simple I was keen as to work," he said.
“Then before I knew it, bang a few awards later sort of thing.”
He says his family have gone through a hard time and he has lost a few family members.
“I just want them to watch this and be proud.”
He will soon be mentoring someone, an apprentice that he'll select.
"For me that's exciting because I really want to pass on my skills to someone else."
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