Golden Acre Foods is bringing the award‑winning, authentically made Dairy Valley Paneer into Sainsbury’s stores later this month, fresh after achieving a major industry milestone by becoming the first paneer ever to win Gold at the International Cheese & Dairy Awards.
Its success at the renowned awards comes at a time when paneer is gaining popularity in the UK outside of traditional South Asian independent supermarkets. Paneer is a core staple of Indian vegetarian cuisine, deeply integrated into daily meals, cultural traditions and local dairy markets across the nation.
In the UK, paneer is becoming more widely available and is often referred to as “the new halloumi”. But unlike existing paneer products currently available in UK supermarkets, Dairy Valley Paneer has been authentically made by renowned Indian chef Bipen Sharma using traditional techniques. This ensures it delivers the clean taste and soft texture of authentic South Asian paneer, and is spreadable and suitable for crumbling into dishes – just as it is enjoyed across the subcontinent.
Rebecca Cutter, Marketing Director at Golden Acre Foods, says: “Dairy Valley Paneer is setting a new benchmark for quality in the world food category. Being the first paneer to win Gold at the International Cheese & Dairy Awards is a huge achievement for Bipen and the team and reflects the care and authenticity behind the product, showing that authentically made paneer can stand shoulder‑to‑shoulder with the best cheeses in the world. We are delighted to bring Dairy Valley Paneer to UK supermarket shoppers in Tesco stores nationwide.
“The listing forms part of Golden Acre Foods’ wider strategy to grow authentic world food products across major UK retailers and meet rising demand for high‑quality Indian ingredients.”
Bipen Sharma, founder of Dairy Valley, says: “As someone who comes from India, and who knows how real paneer is made and how it’s meant to taste, our Dairy Valley paneer is as authentic as it can be outside of India. We chose to base our European factory in Bulgaria, as the milk from local cows is a close match to Indian cows’ milk. It looks, feels and tastes just like the real thing, which we know will appeal not only to existing consumers of paneer, but also to a new generation of consumers looking for truly authentic South Asian foods that are highly versatile and delicious.”
From next week, Dairy Valley Paneer will be available in Sainsbury’s stores nationwide at £3.50 for 200g, followed by Tesco in November.
