Juliet Harbutt

Born in Auckland, New Zealand, Juliet came to Britain in 1984 and after 12 months' research, founded Jeroboams The Wine & Cheese Shop, reputably one of Britain's finest, offering over 250, mainly raw milk, British and European artisan cheeses. During this time she used her experience in computing and training to design and run seminars for retailers, wholesalers and chefs throughout Britain.

Juliet has been recognised during her long career with membership of some leading food organisations including Guilde des Fromagers, Confrerie de Saint-Uguzon and Confrerie des Chevaliers du Taste-Fromage de France.

In July 1991 Juliet created the British Cheese Awards, now in their 11th year - the medals have become a recognised symbol of excellence. Following on from the awards, in 2003 The Great British Cheese Festival, a 2-day event in the grounds of Blenheim Palace, attracted over 8,000 cheese lovers from around the world lured by the prospect of seeing, tasting and buying over 1,000 British cheeses.

Juliet has written a wide range of books on cheese including Guide to the Finest Cheeses of Britain (1992, 1994 & 1998), The World Encyclopaedia of Cheese (1998), followed by Cheese (1999). She has her own monthly column in BBC Good Food Magazine and makes regular appearances on various television and radio networks in Britain, New Zealand and the USA. Juliet is also currently on the committee of The Specialist Cheesemakers Association and the Slow Food international judging committee.